二刀一 Nitō Ichi
by takaondo
Summary: They say people only become truly strong when they are protecting what's most important to them. That is why there are some things that have to be saved no matter what - even if it means losing everything. AU IchiRuki One-shot


**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite.

**Author's Note:** This a one shot written for the **Rukia's birthday contest: The Us That's Not Us **for the** BA's IchiRuki FC**. This one-shot is the longest I've ever written, and currently stands at about sixty five pages. It is extremely long, and has many flashbacks. There are also page breaks to denote flashback for easier reading and comprehension.

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_This is a normal scene switch._

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_.._

_This denotes a transition to flashback._

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_This denotes a transition back to present_

There will be notes at the end, as always. I for one, hope that some actually reach that point. I'm still reeling at how big of a project this became, and how close to the deadline I was when I finally finished it. I'll fix any errors I find; I rushed through it because the deadline was getting so close.

Enough of my rambling. Enjoy.

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**_Prologue_**

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'Long ago during the events of the Bakumatsu, many factions attempted to seize control of Japan's unclaimed lands to spread their own domains. The greatest of these factions were known as the Great Four Noble Houses.

For generations, these noble families fought one another for the control. The chaos of the power struggles led the peasants who lived on the lands to poverty and suffering. Due to the spread of disorder, these many districts and prefectures came to be called as Rukongai, the city of wandering souls.

Then finally after many more years of struggle, the great Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni brought together the Great Four Noble Houses and many lesser noble houses. Under his influence, a grand capital city called Seiretei was built to signal the start of a new age. The city was a paradise meant to unite the people of the land, no matter what class they belonged to.

But the nobles could not accept that ideal. Having been at the top of political and economic power, they refused to accept the peasants of Rukongai.

It wasn't long before a new belief spread after the formation of Seiretei. The concept of purity filled the hearts and minds of the nobles. The nobles considered themselves pure, untouched by sin and evil because of their status. They wanted to believe that only those of noble descent could live in a paradise like Seireitei. Because the people of Rukongai grew up in the slums, surrounded by the worse of sin and evil, they were considered too tainted to be associated with.

It was decided that only the pure were allowed to live in Seiretei, while the tainted remained in Rukongai. Those who were not nobles were considered nothing more than trash. The peasants in Rukongai suffered greatly because of this ideal. The nobles had nearly thrown away their own humanity in order to preserve their superiority.

Afraid of more conflict, Captain-Commander Yamamoto continued to yield to the demands of the nobles. A great wall with four gates were built to surround the city and a powerful military force was formed to protect Seiretei. In less than a few years, the nobles were not only separated from the slums of Rukongai outside the city, but protected by the greatest military force every built.

The Goteijūsantai.

The Gotei Thirteen is composed of thirteen divisions made up of mostly peasents who originated from Rukongai. Nobles were less common as members among the Gotei Thirteen, but when they were members, they were often high ranking officers due to their influence. The many barracks of the Gotei Thirteen reside within the borders of the city, but they are not allowed to enter the actual city itself.

Only nobles were allowed to live in Seireitei. There are only two exceptions to this rule. One could be married into a noble family, but this was often frowned upon. To them, it was a mixing of bad blood.

The other is known as the Byakushintaikai. (White Heart Tournament.)

The Byakushintaikai is an annual tournament where peasants are invited to come from Rukongai to fight for the right to live among the pure in Seireitei as a noble. Once the participants have gathered, they are taken to a deep underground arena called the spirit-sealing pit, called so because it was believed that any who died there would never find peace. Here, the participants are forced to fight in an all out free for all until one participant remained standing.

He or she would then become the challenger of Byakushintaikai.

The goal for the challenger is to complete the four rites of purity; Shi, Sokui, Kiyome and Saisei. Once completed, the challenger was considered to be reborn into purity. That earned them the right to live among those in Seiretei as a noble.

But for the nobles, it was more than a tournament; it was a ritual. To the nobles, the challenger represented the epitome of those tainted in Rukongai. Many challengers perished in the Byakushintaikai. The nobles had felt that by slaying those who lived in the slums of Rukongai, they were cleansing the very earth itself of taint.

Often the challenger realized far too late that Byakushintaikai was no mere tournament.

But nothing more than a ceremonious slaughter.'

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Everything was dark. The only light came from the torches that lit the four balconies that overlooked the small square trench. The area was located deep underground. It was a lonely place where sunlight had never touched. Though the ceiling was still nothing but earth, the floor and the walls were lined with square shaped white marble.

This place was called the spirit-sealing pit.

Watching from atop the balconies, the masked adjudicators were speechless at what they had witnessed. They were all dressed in the traditional Gotei Thirteen Shihakushō, garment of the dead souls. Along with the standard uniforms, the wore long face coverings to hide their identities. However, even that could not hide their obvious surprise.

The light of the fire flickered, and it revealed a ghastly sight. Bodies were lying everywhere. They were all unconscious, beaten but still alive. Most of them sported only slight injuries and some showed no injuries at all. Some had drawn their swords, but it seemed as though it was a futile attempt at resistance. There was no one left standing.

Except for one.

Within a large circle of bodies stood a man about six feet tall. His body was built lean, noticeable even through the dark blue kimono that he wore. But the most distinguishing feature was his hair. He had short orange hair with bangs that fell slightly above his eyes, and slight sideburns that came down the sides of his face. He seemed to have only recently come of age and couldn't have been more than eighteen.

At his waist were two long items held in his obi. They were wrapped in long white bandages to hide their identities.

"Without even drawing his weapons, this man... he..." One of the adjudicators stuttered. "He beat all of them...!"

Calmly, the leader of the adjudicators walked forward.

"You've qualified to become the challenger. What is your name?" He asked the man in the center of the pit.

And so the man raised his head to answer, and his brown eyes pierced the veil of darkness.

"Kurosaki Ichigo."

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* * *

_**二刀一 Nitō Ichi**_

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Kurosaki Ichigo walked down the long hallway while being accompanied by three adjudicators. He looked around impassively as they led him, noticing just how empty the entire place seemed to be. Every step he took on the wooden floor made him feel less and less welcomed.

"This place was made to house the challenger the night before the tournament." One of them told him. "The Byakushintaikai will take place tomorrow. Until then, please enjoy your stay here tonight."

They stopped in front of a pair shoji doors. One of the adjudicators stepped forward from his side, and slid the door open for him. Ichigo slowly walked in and took a quick glance around. It was a small but elegant room.

"Your personal caretaker will be here shortly. If there is anything that you may need, please let him know." One of them said and without another word, slid the door close behind him.

Ichigo waited patiently until he could no longer hear their footsteps before he pulled the two wrapped items from his obi and placed them against the wall. He sat down at the small table that decorated the center of the room. Sitting cross-legged, he looked around the room. It had all the basic necessities and then some, but it still felt like nothing more than a prison.

With nothing left to do, he closed his eyes and fell into his thoughts.

.  
..

The sun was setting down over the horizon, lengthening the shadows of everything under its dimming light. Atop a hill in a far corner of Karakurachō, a man was spreading his arms apart as if he was welcoming an old friend. His long brown hair and overly colorful kimono blew dramatically against wind as tears streamed down his face.

"I have finally overcome the hardships of Karakura Ichikou! It is from today onward that the great Asano Keigo-sama starts his legend -"

"You barely passed though, Asano-san -"

"Don't ruin the moment, Mizuiro!"

Ichigo's face dead panned as he watched his two friends bicker. He was stand further back down the hill with another friend. He a tall dark skinned man who wore a much plainer kimono.

"We're going to have to really think about our future now, don't we?" Ichigo said lightly. "Keigo is the son of a shop keeper, so he'll obviously inherit that. Mizuiro is probably going to become a lower house member with all his connections."

He turned towards his friend.

"You're going to become a tanner, eh, Sado?" Ichigo asked.

Sado nodded.

"Hn. My grandfather will be training me to follow his footsteps. How about you, Ichigo?"

Ichigo turned away and looked towards the large white city in the distance. With great walls and giant gates, it looked more akin to a giant castle than a city. Regardless, It stood magnificently against the sunset backdrop, especially compared to the broken down villages that surrounded its outskirts.

"I'm going to join the Gotei Thirteen." Ichigo answered.

"Tomorrow, I'm heading out to the recruitment castle in Yumisawa. They are looking for more people to recruit into the Shinō Academy. I'll be learning swordsmanship there. The Shinō Academy will be my first step to becoming a warrior of the Gotei Thirteen."

Sado didn't look surprised by his statement, but he still paused in slight hesitation before he spoke.

"Forgive me for asking, but you've fought all your life to protect your friends and family. You have even fought alongside me, a burakumin, a person considered inferior because of our mixed heritage." He said quietly. "Ichigo... Aren't you tired of fighting by now?"

Ichigo closed his eyes as a small breeze blew over him.

"_People only become truly strong when they are protecting what's most important to them. Do you know what you want to protect most, Ichigo?"_

He opened them, just as the words in his memory disappeared into the wind.

"It's true that I've fought all my life. My short temper gets me into fights more often than anything else. But I know that fighting will get me stronger." Ichigo replied determinedly. "The way I am now just isn't enough. I need to get stronger."

"Someone once told me that people only become truly strong when they are protecting what's most important to them. That same person asked if I knew what I wanted to protect the most. I still don't have the answer to that yet. That's why I'm going down this path to get stronger. Maybe then, I'll find my answer."

"Right now, I just want the power to protect people. If I can't do that by extending my hand, then I want a blade so I can reach further..."

He held up his fist.

"For the power to crush destiny."

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Ichigo walked along a beaten path with a travel bag slung over his shoulder. He had been traveling on foot for a while now, and the afternoon light was quickly dwindling. He squinted his eyes as he looked up over the trees. There was a large feudal castle far off in the distance. Compared to the other structures in the entire prefecture, this was the biggest and most extravagant.

He stopped for a moment to take in the view.

"That must be is the recruitment place." Ichigo muttered with slight awe.

He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of rumbling footsteps.

A large carriage turned the corner behind him. It was held up by four burly looking men. Several guards wearing the Shihakushō were running alongside the carriage on both sides. They all had their hands on the hilts of their swords, ready to draw at a moment's notice. At the front was the oldest looking guard, and judging from his position, he was the leader of the group.

"Hurry up! Kuchiki-hime is suppose to start inspection by tonight!" He yelled.

Ichigo watched curiously as they quickly moved passed him without even acknowledging his presence. They were heading towards the castle, moving as fast as their feet could carry them.

"What's their deal?" Ichigo asked curiously with a slight scowl.

He turned to the carriage as it start to move pass him. The small door at its side was open, and his eyes widened slightly at the person inside.

It was a woman. She was gowned in a large pink kimono that was decorated with small, white intricate designs. Her dark hair was coiffed in a high-class style and was obviously a noble. Though Ichigo had seen nobles before, she had an air about her that made her seem really dignified and refined, and he couldn't help but stare at her. To his surprise, she turned towards him impassively as she passed him in her carriage.

Her violet eyes met his own for a brief moment before she passed him.

Ichigo only stood there as he watched the carriage disappear off into the distance.

'Who the hell is she?'

..  
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Ichigo's eyes snapped open as someone knocked on the door. The door slid open to reveal a short young man with a meek face. His hair was of medium length and his kimono was rather plain for someone who was part of Seireitei. It was also uncommon to see men as caretakers, but judging from the calluses on his hands, this had been a job he has had for a long time.

The man bowed as he introduced himself.

"Good evening. My name is Yamada Hanatarō. I will be your caretaker for tonight." He said in a light tone. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

Ichigo looked slightly taken aback, having never been served by anyone.

"No, I'm fine." Ichigo said quickly.

"I see." Hanatarō replied lightly. "Please let me know if there is anything."

He then kneeled down in a far corner of the room and stayed as still as a statue. Ichigo sighed slightly at him, knowing all too well that this was what it meant to live with a sense of duty.

Just as she had.

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..

By the time Ichigo made it to the castle, it was already nighttime. Because of the giant walls that lined the outside of the castle, he could no longer see the main building.

But something was very wrong. It was much too quiet. There were also no guards at the front gate when he got there. He walked up warily and pushed gate to find it was unlocked. He hesitated; the gate was warm to touch and as he sniffed, he could smell smoke.

Gathering his courage, he pushed the gate wide open. His eyes widened at the scene before him. It was chaos. All the small barracks surrounding the main building was alit with flames. Bodies and weapons lay everywhere on the ground. Gotei Thirteen warriors of all ranks lay in a pool of their own blood. Alongside them were an equal amount of masked individuals who were clad in assassin uniforms.

All of them were dead.

'What the hell happened here...?' Ichigo thought as his eyes widened fearfully.

His head snapped to the side as one of the guards groaned in pain. He recognized him as the leader of the group that had passed him earlier. Against his better judgment, he ran over to see what he could do. But as he kneeled next to man and looked him over, his face fell at his condition.

"Hey... is there anything I can do for you...?" Ichigo asked quietly.

The man opened his mouth, coughing up a bit of blood before he spoke.

"The princess... she is in danger..." He managed to stutter. "Please... protect her... there are..."

He coughed out more blood.

"Princess?" Ichigo muttered. His memories flashed with the woman inside the carriage. 'That person...?'

Trembling, the man grabbed his sheathed katana and held it up before him. Ichigo stared at the gesture with confusion.

"Go..."

Ichigo's eyes narrowed and with a nod, took the sword that was offered to him and he slid it into his obi. With one last glance back at man, he took off towards the main building as fast as he could. He could hear the ring of steel echo around him as he moved deeper in, obvious signs of the fighting still going on in the distance.

He snuck his way into the main building and up the stairwells. It was oddly empty. There were no signs of any fighting having occurred at all within its halls. The main forces must have been fighting elsewhere. But Ichigo knew there was no way the princess would have been left un protected like this. She would have been protected.

Ichigo's face lit up realization.

"_Please... protect her... there are..."_

'Traitors...!' He finished as he quickened his pace.

He suddenly stopped and leant up against the wall when he heard voices nearby. He could hear the sound of sword clashes just in the next room. Carefully, he peered in through the door way.

The princess was holding her ground in the back of the room against three masked assassins. It was a standoff; they were not fighting, but they had her outnumbered three to one. She was looking weary; her hair was in a slight mess and her kimono had been ruffled from all the movement. In her hands was a pure white sword, it's tip and edge dripping with blood of the assassins that lay dead around her.

From the three assassins still alive, the one of the middle stepped forward and started to speak. He seemed to have been the leader of the group.

"No one would have ever assumed that there would be traitors in your own ranks, especially ones meant to protect the princess. The rest of your forces outside are soon going to be over whelmed." He said as he pointed his sword at her. "But you're in luck, Kuchiki-hime. My mission isn't to kill you, but we will be taking you prisoner. I'm sure that brother of yours will be willing to pay any amount for your safe return."

Ichigo readied himself, and he turned the corner without any signs of hesitation.

"Not if I have anything to say about it...!" He yelled angrily as he ran in.

Ichigo struck first. He punched the closest assassin hard enough to crack his mask, and sent him crashing into the ground. Before the other two assassins could respond, he quickly charged the next closest person and knocked him out against the wall.

The princess took advantage of the distraction and struck out at the leader, but he was quick enough to block her attack with his sword. Surprised at his skill, the princess braced herself as he sent her flying backwards with one counter strike.

Ichigo's head snapped in her direction and he drew his sword angrily. He yelled as he charged and swung down at her attacker. His eyes widened as his strike was dodged with ease. He could only stand there with a dumbfounded expression before he was kicked roughly in the side.

"Fool...!" The princess yelled.

He clutched his side as he slid roughly against the wall and felt his consciousness starting to fade. His sword fell out of his hands.

His attacker started to walk towards him with his blade held out to his side. Ichigo looked up at him. His vision was slightly blurry as he tried to regain his bearings.

"You can't even swing a sword correctly and you want to fight me?" The assassin said angrily. "I'll cut you down for your insolence."

He raised his sword and Ichigo braced himself.

Right as the sword swung, the princess moved in front of him with her arms spread out. Ichigo's eyes widened as his memories flashed with an image of an orange haired woman doing the same exact pose in front of him. The man stopped his swing right before it could cut her, hesitating because his mission was to take her hostage.

'She protected me.' Ichigo thought as he stared at her with a bewildered expression. 'Why would she put her life on the line for me?'

He scowled, and quickly took the initiative before the assassin could recover.

Ichigo reached for the sword at his side and held it in a reverse grip in his left hand. In one quick motion, he pushed the princess aside and leapt to his feet, thrusting the hilt of his sword upward while he did so. With a sickening crack, he broke the jaw of his attacker and sent him reeling backwards. Ichigo then grabbed his face, and slammed him into the floor with great force.

He stood over his unconscious opponent with heavy breaths. As he sheathed his sword, he glanced over his shoulder towards the princess. She was sitting at the wall nearby, breathing just as hard as he was. He turned as more footsteps were sounding off in the distance, and from the sounds of their inaudible yells, they weren't allies.

"There's more coming. It's not safe here." Ichigo said as he walked over to her. "I need to get you away from here."

"Where will we go?" She asked as she looked up at him.

Ichigo thought for a moment, and quickly found the most reasonable answer.

"My home in Mitsumiya. It's nearby, and I can hide you there for now." He replied.

They stared at one another for a brief moments. She seemed to have been looking for a reason to trust him, but his determined expression told her all she needed to know.

She nodded.

"I know a way we can get to Mitsumiya without being seen." She said. Ichigo nodded back.

"Let's go then, Hime." Ichigo said as he held out his hand.

"It's not Hime." She replied with a small smile. "It's Kuchiki Rukia."

"Kurosaki Ichigo." He added.

And with that, she took his hand.

..  
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The memories faded and Ichigo's expression fell.

"Rukia..." Ichigo muttered without thinking.

"Excuse me, but, when you said Rukia, you don't mean Kuchiki Rukia-hime, do you?" Hanatarō suddenly asked from the corner of the room.

Ichigo's face lit up with surprise as he looked at Hanatarō. That was enough of an answer for him to understand.

"I see. So I was right. Judging from your appearance..." Hanatarō continued. His face lit up. "You're Kurosaki Ichigo-san, right?"

"Ah." Ichigo replied confusedly. "How did you know?"

"I've learned a lot about you from Rukia-san."

"From Rukia...?"

Hanatarō looked down for a moment as he contemplated to himself. Though he looked guilty and worried at what he was thinking, he bit his lip before he looked back up at Ichigo with a firm expression on his face.

"Ichigo-san." Hanatarō said quietly. "Even if it was just for a few moments..."

"Would you like to talk to Rukia-san?"

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Ichigo and Hanatarō made their way down the long hallway that connected the buildings together. As they walked, Hanatarō started to talk about his experiences and conversations with Rukia. For a long time, Ichigo only listened quietly to him as he spoke.

"I was her caretaker for a while when she was being held in the Kuchiki Estate." Hanatarō started. "At first, I was scared because she was a noble, but when I call her Hime-sama, she scolded me for doing so."

"She said, 'Please don't address me like that.' Her gentle voice made me feel at ease."

"As the days passed, Rukia-san started conversing with me. When she talked, most of the time it would be about you, Ichigo-san. Whenever she talked about you, she always had this happy smile on her face. I was glad to see that. Most of the time, she has this sad and gloomy expression."

Ichigo froze mid step and he lowered his head so his bangs hid his eyes.

"She once told me that even though you've only known each other for only about two months, she completely trusts you, but because of her, your life changed and you suffered because of it. She said that she can never make it up for what you did for her -"

Ichigo slammed his fist against the wooden wall of the hallway. It echoed loudly, and Hanatarō jumped slightly in shock. He quickly turned back to Ichigo, surprised to see what had happened. He looked frightened when he quickly realized that he was the one who had overstepped himself.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" Hanatarō said apologetically. He started to bow several times. "I've said too much!"

"No. You didn't do anything wrong." Ichigo said quietly. "It's just..."

He didn't finish his sentence. Without another word, he walked right past Hanatarō.

"Ichigo-san...!" He yelled with concern.

But Ichigo only continued on.

"That... idiot..." Ichigo muttered as his memories flashed with Rukia.

He looked up with obvious pain on his face.

"Those are my lines...!"

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Further in Seireitei was a building that was different from the rest. It's windows were all lined by iron bars. There was only one doorway in and out of the place. Guards stood at its door and patrolled around its perimeter. Even though it still held a sense of lavishness because of the decor that littered it's walls, it was really nothing more than a prison.

Hidden behind the nearby underbrush, Ichigo and Hanatarō watched as the guards moved back and forth. Ichigo then looked up at the building with mild curiosity.

"What is this place?" Ichigo asked with a scowl.

"This place is the holding cell of the sixth division." Hanatarō said informatively. "People can only enter with permission from Kuchiki-sama himself."

"Then, how am I going to talk to Rukia?" Ichigo asked.

"That area of the wall is thin enough so that you two can talk through it." He replied as he pointed at the west wall. "Rukia-san should be sitting there already. She likes to listen to the sounds outside."

"When can I go talk to her?"

"When the guards change shift."

They both ducked into the bush as a few guards walked passed. As to not attract any unwanted attention, they both sat down onto the ground and peered through the brush ever now and then. Time slowly went by as they waited for the guards to move away. Ichigo crossed his arms with a scowl, mildly irritated that he was having to wait so long.

"This is stupid!" He said loudly. "How long are we going to sit here?"

"Ssh! The guards will hear you!" Hanatarō said anxiously.

"Che..." Ichigo replied as he looked away.

A few more moments passed uneventfully.

"Can I ask you something, Hanatarō?" Ichigo suddenly asked. Hanatarō looked up inquisitively. "Why are you helping me?"

"Because I sincerely hope you'll save Rukia-san." He replied honestly. "That's the real reason you're here, right?"

Ichigo looked at him with an unreadable expression.

"Ah... that means you understand why you can't tell her anything, right?"

Hanatarō's eyes fell, but he nodded affirmatively.

"Yes I do, Ichigo-san."

A few moments later, the guards had left their posts to switch with their replacements. When they were out of sight, Ichigo quickly exited the bushes and carefully walked over to the area that Hanatarō had pointed out. He sat down on the ground and leaned back against the wall.

He took a deep breath to calm himself before he started to speak.

"Rukia... can you hear me?"

From the other side, Rukia's eyes widened at the voice. Dressed in a simple white kimono, she was sitting on the floor with her back against the wall, right where Hanatarō had said she would be. She turned her head so that her ear was just a bit closer to the wall.

"Ichigo!" Rukia said with surprise. "Is that you?"

Ichigo couldn't help but smile at hearing her voice.

"Ah..." He replied.

"What are you doing here?" Rukia asked.

"That's obvious isn't it?"

.  
..

In a small northeastern part of Karakurachō was a small secluded water well, intentionally hidden behind a small shrine. It was an old fashion well that was nothing more than a circle of bricks, but it was carefully taken care of. The top of the well was closed off with a giant wooden lid, a lid that slowly rumbled before it was pushed up and to the side.

Ichigo climbed over the top of the well and looked around. It was a good night. The night sky was clear and everything was illuminated by the moonlight.

"Hm, seems like we're in Gakuenchou right now." He said with slight surprise. "Mitsumiya is a little bit south of here so we're almost there."

He turned back and took Rukia's hand to help her get over the well. Before he replaced the lid, he took one last look down the well; leading down to the bottom was a flight of stairs. Beyond that was a long wooden passageway built all the to the castle. They had used that very route to escape undetected.

"I was surprised that there was a secret escape route." Ichigo said as he secured the lid back on.

"Ah. It was built in cases of emergency." Rukia replied.

Ichigo paused for a moment.

"Like what just happened right?" He said quietly.

Rukia didn't answer him. The both of them continued down the empty road in complete silence.

They arrived at a small house in an older area of the Mitsumiya district. It was part of a little neighborhood that had very little room for farming. Close by was a small lake, it's waters overshadowed by the branches of a large cherry blossom tree that grew a little beyond its banks.

"This is it." Ichigo said as he walked through an old gate with Rukia following closely behind.

"You live here by yourself?" Rukia said as she looked around.

"Ah. My family lives in Minamikawase, but I moved out so I could be closer to work." He replied as he walked with her towards the house. "I work for a man called Urahara Kisuke. He owns a shop called the Urahara Shōten nearby."

Ichigo slid open the door before they stepped inside. The main room had only a table in the center of the room and a place to burn firewood for heat. There were a few other doors that that lead to the other rooms in the house, but from the size of the house, they weren't going to be as big as the room they were in now.

"It's not much, but it's all I got. Probably not what you're use to." Ichigo said off-handedly. "You can take the extra room in the back. I have some extra kimono that you can use if you want to change. My sisters probably won't mind if you use them -"

He stopped mid-sentence when noticed that Rukia wasn't paying any attention to what he was saying. She was looking around the room with great interest. He also couldn't help but notice the slightly wistful look on her face.

"Is something wrong?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia turned to him and shook her head.

"No. It's nothing." She replied quickly.

"So, what do we do now?" Ichigo asked.

"It would be too dangerous to move through the prefecture with just the two of us." Rukia replied thoughtfully. "Judging from what I saw and how well their plan was executed, those assassins probably already know I've disappeared from the castle. I probably can't even send out a letter without them knowing."

Her face fell as she realized just how much trouble she was in.

"I won't be able to travel safely until Seireitei sends out a regiment to find me."

"I see." Ichigo replied lightly. He turned away and started to walk to his room. "That's fine. You can stay as long as you need to."

Rukia looked up with surprise. She didn't expect him to say that.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked quickly. Ichigo glanced at her over his shoulder. "Why are you helping me?"

"I guess the easiest answer would be because you're the Kuchiki princess." He replied as he scratched his head. "But..."

He looked away with a serious expression.

"I'm just repaying my debt, that's all"

..  
.

"I'm here to save you, Rukia." Ichigo answered. "I still have a debt to repay, remember?"

"You idiot..." Rukia replied quietly. Her voice was quivering. "Why did you come here? I forbade you to come after me..."

Her hands clenched anxiously on her lap.

"If they find you here, they will..."

"So what? Are you going to tell me to run away?" Ichigo replied heatedly with a scowl. "I'll never do that, now that I'm so close to you again. It wasn't easy getting here, you know?"

"Ichigo..."

"You can yell at me all you want later, but right now, I'm just glad that I can hear your voice again. So for now - while we still can - let's just talk... alright?"

Rukia couldn't help but smile lightly.

"Ah... Alright..."

And they started to talk, bringing back not only memories but the smiles that had been missing for so long. Even though they were separated by the wall between them, they were content to be this close to each other again. For them, this was more than enough.

"How have things been around at home?" Rukia asked.

"The neighbors have been asking where you were. I told them that you were visiting your folks." Ichigo started. He sighed lightly. "It's going to be a lot of trouble for me when I have to properly explain everything to them."

"Heh. You're still mad about what happened, aren't you?" Rukia said with a small smirk.

"Of course I am!" Ichigo replied angrily.

.  
..

It was the day after Ichigo had brought Rukia to his home.

"I'm back." Ichigo said as he slid open the door.

He paused for a moment after he stepped inside and he looked around in confusion. The floors and table were sparkling clean. There was also a very nice and refreshing smell in the air. The entire place looked completely different from the time that he had left earlier that morning.

"Did I just enter the wrong house?" He said dumbly.

"Welcome home, Ichigo." Rukia said as she walked into the main room. She frowned at him. "Take off your sandals, idiot. You're getting the floor dirty."

Even Rukia was different. She wore a casual violet kimono with faded flower designs on it and was no longer weighed down by the heavy formal wear that she wore as a high-class noble. Yet, she still had that air of grace and cleanliness that only nobles seemed to have. Her hair had also changed. She had taken out the comb and had cut it shorter. Her hair were only a little bit past her shoulders now.

"Rukia..." Ichigo said with surprise. "You cut your hair."

"Ah. It's better if my hair is short. I can't fix my hair by myself and it gets in the way if I do chores." She replied. Her face quickly lit up. "Which reminds me. I've already started dinner."

Ichigo sniffed the air and noticed the aroma of food. His expression deadpanned. It was hard to imagine the person in front him was the Kuchiki-princess.

"For some reason..." He said. "I find this almost unbelievable..."

"I also cleaned your house, if you haven't noticed already." Rukia replied proudly as she crossed her arms. "I've also taken the time to get acquainted with our neighbors."

"Oi, isn't that a little dangerous? We haven't thought up a cover up story for you being here." Ichigo said as he stared at her blankly.

She smirked and gave him a reassuring thumbs up.

"I've already got that taken care of."

.

Later that day, Ichigo was out in front of his house chopping firewood. He held it skillfully on an old stump before chopping it cleanly in half with one slice of his cleaver. He stopped for a moment to wipe the sweat off his brow with a piece of cloth. He didn't notice that behind him, a small old woman had appeared in front of the gate.

"I have some tofu for you, Kurosaki-san!" She yelled as she raised the bowl in her wrinkly hands.

"Ah -" He said in surprise as he glanced over his shoulder.

Before he could even give her a proper response, Rukia was already walking as fast she could to the gate to receive the gift. Ichigo looked at her, wondering just what she was up to.

"Thank you very much, Kishi-san!" Rukia said politely as she took the small package.

"No need be so polite, Kurosaki-san!" She replied in kind.

'Kurosaki-san...?' Ichigo thought.

Ichigo watched and listened from afar as the two of them continued to converse, but the more and more they continued on, the more and more his face darkened.

"Young couples to be healthy, you know?"

'Couple.'

"Like they all say, you have to start popping out children as soon as possible! Do it while you're young!"

'Children.' Ichigo looked up in thought, and his eyes widened as realization hit him like a ton of bricks. 'No way. She didn't.'

The old woman turned to him and started to bat her hand in his direction.

"You sure did find yourself a good wife, Oh ho ho ho!" She said.

His face paled.

'She did.'

Ichigo furiously followed Rukia back into the house afterwards. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He slammed the door behind him and gave her the angriest scowl he could muster.

"Wife!" He yelled loudly.

"What?" Rukia replied lightly with an eyebrow raised, not at all fazed by his tone.

"Couldn't you have used something else?" Ichigo asked frantically.

"Well, it's not like I can just live here with you. It would arouse suspicion if people found out you were living with a woman." She replied with a glare. "I also can't pretend to be a relative either because most of the people around here know about your family. And I can't use my real surname because it would be too dangerous."

She smiled smugly as she crossed her arms.

"So I decided to temporarily take up your surname and become your fake wife-to-be!"

Ichigo stared at her vacantly, his mind still having a hard time wrapping around the current situation he had been unwillingly pulled into.

"Don't look so impressed with your own idea." He said flatly.

..  
.

Ichigo's face deadpanned at the memory.

"Well, at least they accepted the entire idea of it without question..." He said off-handedly.

"All thanks to my great acting skills!" Rukia said proudly.

Ichigo made a 'che' sound.

"You used that same excuse with my friends, too. Remember, at the festival?" Ichigo added. He scowled. "Actually, remembering that time pisses me off even more."

Rukia started to laugh.

"What are you laughing at?" Ichigo replied heatedly.

"Your face from that time!" She said brightly.

.  
..

Laughter and music filled the air that night in the Mashiba neighborhood. It was the annual midsummer festival that took place in Karakurachō. Lanterns of all colors hung in front of open shops that sold many things, ranging from masks of all sizes to foods of all varieties. Ichigo and Rukia walked down the middle of the crowded street, with the latter looking around in amazement and wonder.

"Is this your first festival?" Ichigo asked, noticing her excitement.

"No, but it's been a few years." Rukia replied with a small smile. "Nobles aren't allowed to associate with the people of Rukongai, so even the festivals are off-limits."

"Hn. I always thought the life of a noble was all fun and games." Ichigo said casually.

"I wasn't born a noble. I was born and raised in Rukongai by my late sister. She was married into the Kuchiki Household and I was adopted as a result of it." Rukia explained in a light tone. "But the life of a noble isn't what you think. The pressures, the rules, and the atmosphere - it's all really suffocating. People will isolate you because of your status."

Ichigo glanced at her. As she had spoke, her features held a shadow of sadness to them. His eyes narrowed slightly as he felt guilty for being so ignorant.

"It must be kind of lonely then, to have that kind of life. But right now, you're kind of stuck with me." Ichigo said as he turned away with a scowl. "So you won't be alone, even if you wanted to be."

Rukia looked at him for a moment in surprise at his rather roundabout way of trying to cheer her up.

"Ah..." She replied with a small thankful smile.

Ichigo's face lit up when he spotted familiar faces among the crowd in front of him. It was a group of his friends from Karakura Ichikou. They were heading straight towards the two of them, and were quickly shifting their way through the crowd. Ichigo didn't know if they spotted him yet, but he didn't want to take the risk of another embarrassing situation.

Without warning, Ichigo took Rukia's hand and started to walk off in the opposite direction.

"Wha... what's wrong?" Rukia asked with as frown as she was being dragged off.

"We need to go somewhere else before -" Ichigo started anxiously.

"Yo! Ichigo!" A voice called.

"... Someone sees us." He managed to finish blankly.

Ichigo sighed as they both stopped walked and released her hand. The group that he had saw was quickly making their way over to them. At its lead was a girl with medium length dark hair. She had been the one to call him out.

"Yo... Tatsuki..." Ichigo said as he turned to them with a defeated look. "Everyone..."

"Didn't you see us? We were calling out to you." She asked. Her eyes lit up at Rukia. "Who's this?"

Ichigo scratched his head, looking away awkwardly with a scowl.

"Ah... well... you see..."

He didn't have enough time to finish. Rukia had grabbed his arm and smiled as brightly as she could.

"It's nice to meet you! I am Kurosaki-kun's wife-to-be! Please call me Rukia!"

The entire group stared at them blankly. Ichigo's face paled. There was only silence.

At least until Keigo finally registered what she had said.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhh? Wife-to-be!"

"Don't look so shocked, Asano-san."

"But look at her!"

"Congratulations Kurosaki."

"Congratulations! Ishida, we didn't even get invited to the ceremony -"

"Congratulations Ichigo..."

"You too, Sado! Traitor!"

Ichigo only sighed as the Mizuiro and Keigo started to say random annoying things while Sado and Ishida stood there impassively. At his side, Rukia was introducing herself to the women of the group.

"My name is Inoue Orihime. It's nice to meet you, Rukia-san." One of them said with a curt bow. She had long caramel colored hair that was tied into a ponytail. "It seems like you and Kurosaki-kun get along very well!"

"Yes, we do!" Rukia said brightly. "Isn't that right, dear?"

"Well..." Ichigo started as he looked away.

With a smile on her face, Rukia started to twist his arm subtly so that no one else would notice. His face contorted in pain and he was unable to finish his sentence.

"Ow... ow... ow..." He muttered. He turned to the group with a sigh of defeat.

"Yeah... we do."

..  
.

Ichigo huffed in frustration.

"Thankfully, you never had to meet my family. I'm pretty sure they were there at the festival too." He said. He felt chills go down his spine at the mere thought.

"Did they find out about me, did they?" Rukia asked.

"Actually, my old man caught wind of it from our neighbors." He said. "It was troublesome."

"Was your father angry about it?" She asked.

"No, it was the opposite of what you would have normally expected. I had to threaten him to keep him from coming over to see you. He wanted to meet you. He kept asking why I didn't invite you to come along with us."

Rukia paused before she spoke.

"To visit your mother's grave?" She said.

Ichigo closed his eyes.

"Ah."

.  
..

It was raining that day. Ichigo stood at the porch of the house, sheltered by the wooden roof above him. Behind him, the door was opened, a sign that he had just stepped out. It was empty outside. There was no one out and about that moment due to the rain. It poured heavily on the earth; the sounds of the pelting raindrops were almost deafening.

'It's that time again.' He thought.

"Don't stand there, idiot. If you catch a cold, I'm not going to take care of you." Rukia said as she appeared in the doorway. "Do you -"

Noticing his slumped posture and his lack of a retort, she fell silent. Patiently, she waited until he was ready to speak.

"Hey, Rukia." He said quietly. "I'm going back home to Minamikawase tomorrow."

"Do you need me to come with you?" She asked.

"There's no need." He replied. "I'm just going to head out to the cemetery with my family."

"What's the occasion?" She asked, though she regretted it almost instantly.

Ichigo paused before he answered, and looked up to the clouded sky.

"My mother's birthday."

.

Ichigo stood before a small grave in the cemetery. He was drenched from head to toe. The rain had not stopped since yesterday. However, he didn't seem to mind the rain, or rather, he was too distracted to notice. His eyes were locked onto the headstone in front of him. Etched into it was the name 'Kurosaki Masaki.'

"_People only become truly strong when they are protecting what's most important to them. Do you know what you want to protect most, Ichigo?"_

'When I was young, that was what my mother had asked me.' He thought to himself. 'At that time, I remember thinking that if that was the case, then I want to protect my mother.'

'My mother, the one who had always protected me.'

'The ones I wanted to protect increased with the birth of my sisters. For the sake of protecting them, I wanted to get stronger. The people I wanted to protect continued to increase as I made more and more friends. Soon enough, I started to think 'I want to protect everyone.'

'It was raining that day. My mother and I were walking next to the Karasu river. During those days, it wasn't safe to go out without protection, but I thought that if I was with my mother, I could protect her from anything.'

'A bandit tried to rob us. When I tried to help my mother, he raised his sword.'

_She stepped in front of him with her arms spread apart. _

'And my mother blocked the strike that was meant for me.'

'The man that attacked us fell into the river, by sheer fate or by accident, I don't know. But I didn't care. I still don't care.'

'My mother had died to protect me that day.'

'When she was alive, my mother was the center that our family revolved around. When she died, my family was torn apart for a long time.'

'And I was the one who took her away from them.'

Ichigo turned as he felt someone walk up beside him. His face lit up with surprise as an umbrella was held over him to cover him from the rain.

"So you did come, Rukia." He said quietly.

"Ah." She replied. "I wanted to wait until your family left."

He nodded, and turned back to the grave.

"They left a while ago. It's just me here now."

Rukia stared at him for a few moments before holding out her umbrella, motioning for him to take it from her.

"Take it." She said sternly.

"Huh?" Ichigo muttered as he took it in confusion.

She turned to his mother's grave. With both hands free, she clapped her hands twice and bowed respectfully. Ichigo watched this with surprise before turning back to the grave. For a few moments, neither of them spoke.

"You're not going to ask what happened?" He asked quietly.

"Would you answer if I did?" Rukia replied.

Ichigo didn't respond.

"I have no right to know and I have no way of stepping into your heart without soiling it." Rukia said without looking at him. "But when you think you want to talk about it, or when you think it's time to talk about it, I'll be there to listen."

She finally turned to him with reassuring smile.

"Until then... I'll keep waiting."

Ichigo didn't meet her eyes, but his face softened.

"Ah... Thank you..."

..  
.

"That day, your words really put me at ease." Ichigo said gratefully.

"You make it sound like you were the only one." Rukia replied softly. "Don't forget that you've also helped me too, Ichigo."

.  
..

Rukia was practicing her swordplay in the backyard during the late afternoon, hidden away from the eyes of strangers. Her pure white sword sliced gracefully through the air as the white ribbon trailed lightly behind its hilt. It was like a dance, moving from one form to the next. Her brows narrowed in concentration as her lips moved inaudibly, repeating the next steps to herself before following through.

Ichigo had walked outside to see what Rukia was up to, and had frozen in the doorway to watch her display. He was watching her movement with wonder, but she didn't notice him until she was finally finished.

"I'm sorry." Ichigo said apologetically. "I shouldn't have been watching."

"No. It's okay." Rukia replied curtly. She smirked smugly. "If you ask nicely, maybe I'll teach you a thing or two."

For a moment, Ichigo scowled at her in slight irritation.

"As if!" He said. He looked at her curiously. "That was still pretty amazing though. Who taught you your swordsmanship?"

Rukia's expression quickly changed, and Ichigo couldn't help but notice how familiar it looked. Her eyes fell and she smiled sadly as she looked at her sword.

"His name was Kaien Shiba, a former lieutenant of the Gotei Thirteen."

.

It started raining later that day. Rukia sat on the porch to watch it, just as Ichigo had done a few times before. Her expression was impassive as she stared at the falling raindrops. She fell deep into her thoughts as pitter patter of rain echoed around her.

"_I am vice captain Shiba Kaien! I'll be your teacher from now on! Nice to meet you!"_

"_Yes… hello…"_

"'_Yes'… ? 'Hello'…? What the hell is your problem!"_

"_Huh…?"_

"_Your teacher just introduced himself to you! You should give your name and say 'Nice to meet you too!'"_

"_My name is… Kuchiki Rukia…"_

"_And… what else?"_

"_It's nice to meet you!"_

"_Good! That's how it should be, Rukia!"_

'It was a normal greeting. A normal scolding. A normal relationship between a teacher and student. That normality was what I had desired most.' Rukia thought.

'When I became a noble, Kaien-dono was the first person that treated me normally. Because of him, the loneliness that I had felt when Hisana died was slowly being lifted away from my heart.'

'He taught me how to use the sword as required of all nobles in Seireitei. I was never really any good, but he always encouraged me. I trained hard just so I could see that proud expression on his face.'

'He was a man who was well-liked and respected in Seireitei. He had a personality that drawn in those around him. He was the perfect example of what a noble should have been like.'

'But he never agreed with the rules of Seireitei. He believed in the ideals that Seireitei was founded on, not the rules that the nobles had decided upon.'

'Because of his ideals, the Shiba Clan fell from the ranks of the nobles and his wife became one of the first to be killed in the purge. In his rage, he struck out against the nobles who had betrayed him.'

'I could only watch helplessly as they executed him.'

"_Kaien-dono!"_

'Even as a Kuchiki, I couldn't do anything to save him.'

"Yo." A voice said behind her, snapping her out of her thoughts. She turned to see Ichigo walking up next to her.

"Ichigo? What are you doing out here?" She asked.

"That's my question, dummy." Ichigo replied before he sat down next to her.

For a brief moment, they both fell silent as they listened to the sounds of the falling rain. It was peaceful and calming despite the occasional roar of thunder. Ichigo glanced at her from the corner of his eye, and noticed that the expression she had from before had returned.

"Your shoulders are small." Ichigo said without looking at her.

"Wha...?" Rukia replied with confusion.

"Your shoulders are small..." He said calmly. "So you shouldn't be trying to shoulder such a heavy burden by yourself. Whether you're blaming yourself or feeling guilty, you'll eventually crack if you try to stand on your own."

"So depend on me if you can't take it anymore. I'm here too, remember?"

He looked upwards toward the sky.

"You're not alone anymore."

"Thank you..." Rukia said appreciatively.

"Don't thank me, idiot." Ichigo replied. "I'm only returning the favor."

She smiled softly at his words. It made her feel at ease. She leaned against him without thinking, feeling weary from the training she had done. At that moment, she had never felt as comfortable with someone as she did then.

"Oi, don't lean on me, you're kind of heavy you know?" Ichigo said, but he made no attempt to push her away. He smiled lightly as he continued to look towards the sky.

'That's right.' Rukia thought as her eye lids started to close. 'It's really heavy.'

'It was... really heavy...'

..  
.

"From that point, things started to change." Rukia continued softly. "For the first time in my life, it felt like everything was finally how it was suppose to be, like you've finally come home. When we were together..."

"Everything felt so right..." Ichigo finished for her.

Rukia smiled.

"Ah..."

.  
..

There was a large lake that was located close by the district. Children played at its banks and adults casted long lines in the water for fish. In a way, this was the center of the area's livelihood. Many people depended on the lake for both food and water. At its edge was a large cherry blossom tree, though it had been months since it's last blooming.

Rukia stood under the tree with one hand pressing against its trunk. She took in the beauty, comfort, and serenity that the place offered her. To her, this place was paradise, more than Seireitei ever was.

She glanced over her shoulder at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"So you were here all this time." Ichigo said as he walked towards her. He stopped a few feet behind her. "I was wondering where you went off to."

"This place is calming, so I like to come here to think." She replied with a small smile.

"That's good." He said with a smirk.

"Hn?" Rukia muttered with a confused look on her face.

"You normally have such a lonely expression on your face, but whenever I see you here, it's gone. That's something really good then, isn't it?"

"It wasn't the lake that took that away though, Ichigo." Rukia said humorously.

Ichigo stared at her with surprise on his face.

Without another word, Rukia turned back to the lake and smiled gently as she looked back out over the waters. Behind her, Ichigo looked away with a softened expression, unable to hide the smile that tugged at his lips.

"I was just thinking... it's been such a long time since I've been content like this. For a long time, I've always been by myself, but I couldn't really be myself. I was always pressured to keep up an appearance because I am a noble." Rukia said as she turned to him. "But…"

"That all changed when I met you."

She turned back towards the lake, watching the leaves fall down from a breeze that blew by. They touched the surface, creating ripples that dissipated into the distance.

"It may be foolish of me to say this, but part of me hopes that Seireitei never finds me. I want these kind of days to never end. I want things to stay like this."

"Always... forever like this..."

Ichigo looked down for a moment as his expression softened. He smiled lightly at the warm feelings that rose within him.

"I feel the same way." He admitted quietly.

Rukia turned to him with surprise.

"Ichigo..." She muttered.

He looked up so they could look eye to eye.

"Ever since I met you, it seemed as though the world started to turn again. I didn't realize it before, but when my mother had died, I had also lost something important... but thanks to you, I think I finally found it again..."

His mother's words echoed in his thoughts.

"_People only become truly strong when they are protecting what's most important to them. Do you know what you want to protect most, Ichigo?"_

'I do now.' He answered.

"I won't be conceited enough to say that I will always be there, or say that I will never let you down. But..."

His eyes lit up determinedly.

"I will definitely protect you, Rukia."

..  
.

"During that time, I was thinking about how happy I was that I got to meet you." Rukia said. Her expression fell. "But I was naive. I was being selfish. I didn't think about the consequences. Now I realize that if I didn't meet you, then your life wouldn't have changed."

"Actually, as it is right now, it seems as though my life haven't changed at all." Ichigo said calmly. "Things continued as though you were never there in the first place. Everything was how it was supposed to be. The world just kept on going without you."

"But for me, it was different for me. I was the only who could feel that pain - the pain of knowing that you disappeared. For me, everything had changed."

"And for me, the world stopped turning once again."

They both fell silent as a solemn mood fell upon the both of them. Both Ichigo's and Rukia's expressions were etched with longing for the days that had long passed them.

"Ichigo..." Rukia started, breaking the silence. "I know you went through a lot of trouble to get here but whatever you're planning, please abandon it. The fact that you're still alive already makes me incredibly happy. So, please go home and live your normal life as though I've never became a part of it."

"That's already too late." Ichigo replied firmly. "The reason I'm still here is because of you. My life has changed because you did become a part of it."

"There is no normal life without you now, Rukia."

Rukia's eyes widened in surprise at his statement, but Ichigo wasn't finished yet. He still had more things to say to her.

"No matter what you think or say, I know that meeting you was the best thing that has ever happened to me. Nothing will ever change that."

"Ichigo..." She said quietly. "You..."

Ichigo's eyes caught sight of Hanatarō waving his hands off into the distance. His face fell; he was probably warning him that the guards were on their way back. That meant it was time for them to part again.

"I'm need to go now." He said abruptly.

"Ichigo -"

"I'll cleanse you of your sins, Rukia. I swear it." Ichigo said determinedly as he got up. "Whatever happens, I'm not going to let you die."

"Ichigo!"

"I will definitely protect you...!"

"Ichigo...!"

She stopped calling out his name; she knew he was already gone. She closed her eyes as the feelings of loneliness came back to her. They had disappeared when she was talking with him, but now that he was no longer here, they came back in full force.

Along with the memories associated with them.

.  
..

Rukia was back at the lake. She had needed time to think, and this was always the place to go when she needed some peace and quiet. She stared out over the calm waters as she remembered the first time that she and Ichigo had met.

"_Let's go then, Hime." Ichigo said as he held out his hand._

"_It's not Hime." She replied with a small smile. "It's Kuchiki Rukia."_

"_Kurosaki Ichigo." He added._

_And with that, she took his hand._

"It's almost been two months since then." She said quietly to herself.

"I've finally found you." A voice said from behind her. "Rukia!"

With surprise, Rukia slowly turned towards the source of the voice, and her eyes widened fearfully at the familiarity of it. A man garbed in the Gotei Thirteen Shihakushō was walking towards her. He had long red hair that was tied into a ponytail and tattoos all over his body. On his shoulder was the insignia of the sixth division.

"Abarai Renji!" She said with surprise.

"I'm glad you're doing well, Rukia." He said with a grin as he stopped a few feet behind her.

"How... did you manage to find me?" She asked as she turned to him.

"It was simple. The only escape route lead to Gakuenchou, remember?" Renji explained. "From there, we searched around the area. We've almost lost hope of finding you. It was merely luck that I was able to catch you now before we left the district."

He looked around.

"But before that, there's some business to take care of beforehand."

"Business?" Rukia asked.

"Where is the person that took you from the castle?" Renji asked as he looked at her sternly.

Rukia started to back up with a small scowl. She had a bad feeling about his question. Her hand unconsciously reached to her side.

'Shit. I left my sword is back in the house.'

"I've been out here all alone all this time." She lied firmly.

"Don't joke with me, Rukia." Renji said as he started to approach her. "Don't even try to protect him. You know the laws of Seireitei better than anyone."

"'A noble cannot stay in Rukongai for more than a month. Doing so will brand you as an impure individual unfit to live in Seiretei.'" He said as he restated the law. "In other words, you will be branded as a traitor."

"It's been two months since your disappearance. We haven't heard anything from you during that time. Your punishment will be lightened if we blamed the ordeal on the person who took you, because if you purposely chose to abandon Sereitei..."

His eyes narrowed.

"The penalty for that is death."

"Che...!" Rukia muttered angrily as she backed up into a tree.

"So we will need to bring back his head as proof." Renji said. He glanced over his shoulder over the person who was approaching them. "Isn't that right, Kuchiki-taichō?"

Rukia's eyes widened. Another man from the Gotei Thirteen had also arrived. His serene expression was unnaturally cold as he looked at Rukia. A kenseiken could be seen in his long black hair, an obvious sign of his status as a noble of Seireitei.

"Byakuya Nii-sama...!" She said with surprise.

"Rukia." He replied.

"Where is he, Rukia?" Renji asked again.

"I'm over here!" A voice said off in the distance.

Ichigo was making his way up towards them with a scowl. Rukia looked at him with disbelief. Of all the times he had to appear, this was the worse time possible.

"Ichigo...!" She yelled.

"What's going on here?" Ichigo said as he revealed his katana. He scowled angrily. "You two were looking for me, weren't you? Well, here I am!"

"Fool! Run away from here!" Rukia yelled. She tried to move to him but Byakuya held out his arm to block her.

"If you so as much touch him, your punishment will become much more severe." He said coldly. "I will cut him down myself before you will even reach him."

Rukia felt her body grow cold and she stood frozen in place. She couldn't do anything to help Ichigo. She could only watch as the two of them sized each other up.

"Ah... so this must be him." Renji said as he approached Ichigo. "So, you have a sword. Show me what you can do with it."

"If it wasn't for that old guy, I wouldn't even have this." Ichigo said.

He drew his sword and held it before him.

"He gave me this sword to protect Rukia!"

"Protect her?" Renji said angrily. "Do you even realize what's going to happen to her? Because she's been missing for so long, she's been branded a traitor!"

He pointed to Rukia behind him.

"Rukia is going to be executed because of you!"

"What...?" Ichigo said. He looked at her for answers, but she refused to meet his eyes. From that one reaction, he knew it was true.

"Because she chose to stay with you, she broke the law." Renji said. He drew his sword from his side. "We're going to kill you here so she may have a chance of avoiding execution!"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he turned back to face Renji. He gripped his sword tightly. It didn't matter what law was broken. The only thing that mattered to him that moment was Rukia's safety.

"I don't give a shit about your stupid laws." Ichigo said. "Even if I died here, there isn't a guaranteed chance that she would avoid being executed. The only way to guarantee that nothing will happen to her..."

He charged at Renji with his sword raised.

"Is by defeating the both of you...!"

Rukia watched fearfully as the two started to clash swords. Ichigo was swinging his sword like a club, and Renji dodged each strike skillfully. They difference in their skill was too obvious. Eventually, Ichigo was struck across the shoulder.

He fell onto his knees as he gripped the wound in pain. Renji walked up him and raised his sword for the final blow.

"You're one thousand years too early to beat me." He said as he started to swing his sword down.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled.

Ichigo reacted to her voice, and broke out of his stupor. With newfound strength, he slashed upwards and cut Renji across his chest. Renji's eyes widened in surprise, and he stumbled backwards. The cut was shallow, but it was painful. Renji grimaced as he fell onto one knee.

"You were too naive, Renji." Byakuya said.

Still breathing heavily, Ichigo turned to Byakuya. He smirked; one down, one more to go. He ignored the pain in his shoulder and raised his sword.

"You're next...!" He yelled.

"Ichigo! Don't!" Rukia yelled.

It was already too late. Ichigo was charging straight for him.

Byakuya's hand slowly moved to the hilt of his sword. Ichigo watched him closely, gripping his sword tightly as he waited for the attack. But then suddenly, Byakuya disappeared from his sight, and Ichigo stopped in his tracks. His eyes widened as Byakuya reappeared behind him with his sword sheathed as though he hadn't drawn it in the first place. Before Ichigo could even react, blood burst forth from a wound across his chest.

And he started to fall forward with an expression of shock frozen on his face.

'What... in the world... was that?" Ichigo thought.

"Even while falling..." Byakuya said calmly. "You are still incredibly slow."

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled as he hit the ground. She tried to run to him, but Renji grabbed her arm and held her back. She turned to him in surprise.

"Don't." Renji said quietly. "You'll only get hurt if you get in the way."

Byakuya stood over Ichigo's prone body and drew his sword. The sunlight glanced off the pristine white blade as he held it overhead. He was ready to deliver the final blow.

"Stop!" Rukia yelled as she struggled to break free of Renji. "It was all my fault!"

Byakuya paused, and turned to her.

"Rukia -" Renji started as he tried to calm her.

"It's not his fault! I am the one who deserted Seireitei!" Rukia continued to yell. "I am the one who wanted to escape the life of a noble! I am the one who broke the laws of Seireitei!"

Her face contorted.

"I am the one who forced him to take me away!"

"Rukia... do you even know what you are saying?" Renji asked furiously. "Right now, you are already in serious trouble! If you continue doing this, even we won't be able to do anything to save -"

"I don't care!" She yelled as she turned to him angrily.

"You are a Kuchiki for god's sake -" Renji tried to reason.

"Then I will throw away the name of Kuchiki!" Rukia replied angrily.

Renji's face lit up with shock at her statement and even Byakuya had turned to her. She had basically sealed her fate with that statement. Renji's grip on her weakened and she pulled away from him. As quickly as she could, she ran over to Ichigo's side and kneeled next to him, looking down at him an expression of grief.

"Why are you willing to go so far for this boy?" Byakuya asked impassively.

Rukia didn't answer him. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him.

"I see. Very well then." Byakuya said as he sheathed his sword. "You alone, will be punished. We shall head back to Seireitei immediately."

"Yes, Nii-sama." Rukia replied impassively. "I humbly accept my sins and punishment."

Below her, Ichigo started to stir.

"Rukia..." He muttered. He weakly reached for her.

She grabbed his hand with both of her own and pushed it firmly back onto the ground. Surprised, Ichigo lifted his head to meet her eyes, but her face was hidden away by her hair. His eyes widened when he saw a few tears drop onto his hand.

"Just stay down... and don't move...!" She said resolutely. "Even if for just a little bit longer... Stay still... Even if you move just a little, you'll risk losing your life... So... If you even attempt to come after me..."

She finally looked at him, and on her face was the saddest expression he had ever seen her have.

"I will... never forgive you...!"

Ichigo didn't know what to say. His mouth fell open inaudibly as she stood up and turned away. Her back was turned to him and he noticed for the first time how small she really was compared to him. Yet, he had been the one who couldn't do anything.

He could only watch as Rukia slowly walked over to Byakuya and Renji without looking back at him.

"Let's go, Nii-sama."

..  
.

Rukia closed her eyes as the memories faded.

'Ichigo...' She thought. 'You can't possibly be thinking of fighting against Seiretei...'

She looked up through the far window. The full moon that night shone through the bars of the window and into the lonely room.

'Just what exactly are you planning?'

.

Ichigo sat alone in his room later that night, having made his way back after his meeting with Rukia. He was staring off into the distance with a somber expression on his face and closed his eyes as the memories of that day returned to him.

_He could only watch as Rukia slowly walked over to Byakuya and Renji without looking back at him._

"_Let's go, Nii-sama."_

_Laying there, Ichigo slammed his fist onto the ground as they disappeared into the distance. He didn't move, not even as drops of rain started to fall from the sky. He only gritted his teeth as the cold water drenched his body._

'_I came to protect you... but... I couldn't do anything..."_

_And the rain started once again._

'_I was the one who was protected...!'_

His eyes snapped open with his renewed determination.

"I will definitely be the one to protect you this time!"

.

The next day came and the light of the rising sun shone through the window in Ichigo's room. He hadn't really slept the night before. Instead, he had sat at the wall that entire night, unable to sleep because of his thoughts. He didn't look anxious though. In fact, he looked as calm as he could possibly be.

"So the day's finally here..." He muttered.

His eyes narrowed.

"The Byakushintaikai."

.  
..

Ichigo woke up in an empty room that he didn't recognize. He tried to sit up, but his entire body was hurting. He moved away the covers of the futon to find bandages covering his torso. Almost instantly, the memories of what had happened came back to him, and his face contorted with regret. He didn't even notice the door sliding open at the side of the room.

"If you move too much, you can still probably die. You wouldn't want to get my floors stained with blood now, would you? I'll have to make you clean it up!" A voice said from the open doorway.

A man in dark colored robes walked into the room. His golden-yellow hair were splayed to the sides of his face. A black eye patch covered his left eye, a battle wound of unknown origin. In his hand was a worn out fan with a symbol upon it.

"Urahara-san?" Ichigo said with surprise. "You were the one who saved me?"

"Why do you sound so surprised, Kurosaki-san? Your father told me to look after you after all!" Urahara replied casually. He sat down cross-legged next to Ichigo. "So, it seems as though Kuchiki-san got taken back to Seireitei, isn't that right?"

"How did you..." Ichigo said.

"I just had a feeling, that's all!" Urahara said casually. He started to wave his fan. "Besides, she was too high class for someone like you anyways!"

A nerve twitched on Ichigo's forehead.

"You..." He muttered.

"So what will you do now, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara asked suddenly with a serious expression.

Ichigo was caught off guard by his question, and his face fell. He felt a mixture of shame and guilt at what had happened. The memory of her being taken away kept playing over and over in his head.

"I don't know." He replied quietly. "Rukia is probably back at Seireitei now. Now that she's there, there's nothing I can do."

"So you won't go save her?" Urahara added.

Ichigo gritted his teeth in frustration.

"You're going to stay here and do nothing?"

Ichigo's face contorted in frustration.

"Are you just going to let her die then?" Urahara continued to push.

"What the hell am I suppose to do!" Ichigo yelled angrily as his eyes clenched closed. "How am I suppose to save her from that place? I couldn't even fight off two people, so how am I going to fight the entire force of Seireitei?"

His hands shook as he clenched them.

"I... want to save her...! But I don't know how...!"

"If there's a will, there's a way." Urahara said lightly. "Since you've finally show that will, let me show you the way."

"A way...?" Ichigo asked.

"The Byakushintaikai." Urahara said with a small smile.

"Byakushintaikai?" Ichigo repeated. "The White Heart Tournament?"

Urahara nodded.

"I'm sure you heard stories of it." He said. "The Byakushintaikai is an annual tournament where people are invited to come from Rukongai to fight for the right to live among the pure in Seireitei as a noble. The challenger is decided after weeding out the strongest in the spirit-sealing pit. The goal for the challenger is to complete the four rites of purity. Shi, Sokui, Kiyome and Saisei."

He held up four fingers, bringing one down every time he explained a step.

"Shi, for death. This is when the challenger is chosen and clothed in the traditional Shihakushō."

"Sokui, for ascension. These are the four fights against members of the Gotei Thirteen. As you know, the number four, 'shi' actually represents death. They are the steps to overcome - or ascend - death."

"Kiyome, for purification. The final battle and the cleansing."

"Saisei, for rebirth. The victor of Kiyome is cleansed of all sin and will be 'reborn' into purity."

As Urahara finished, Ichigo continued to look at him with an expression of confusion. He didn't actually tell him any information that he needed to know

"How will this tournament help me save Rukia?" He asked.

Urahara smiled before he said one word.

"Kiyome."

.

"How do you know so much?" Ichigo asked after more was explained. "You know too much to be someone who isn't from Seireitei."

"I am nothing more than a handsome shop owner now." Urahara explained. "Anything that was in the past, is in the past."

Ichigo knew there was more too it, but he didn't want to push the subject if Urahara didn't want to say anything.

"How... will I get stronger?" He asked as he looked at his hands.

"You have one month before the Byakushintaikai." Urahara said. "During that time, I will train you to fight."

Ichigo paused before he continued to speak.

"Can I... really get strong enough by then?" He asked.

"That is completely up to you." Urahara replied. "Remember that the will is stronger than steel."

Ichigo clenched his hands, and his eyes lit up with determination. This was going to be his chosen path. Something bothered him though, and he turned to Urahara with a stern expression.

"I just want to know one thing." Ichigo asked. "Why are you helping me if you already know what's going to happen."

Urahara smiled.

"It's because I believe you can do what many have tried to do and failed." He said. "Many people have tried to run away from the hands of fate only to be swept back up and crushed within its palms. If you truly want to crush fate, the first thing you have to do is accept it. If you have the strength to accept it, then you also have the strength to change it."

"In short, it's because I believe in you, Kurosaki-san. I believe you can change both Kuchiki-san's fate, and yours."

Ichigo looked at him speechlessly, but nodded. He was grateful for his sentiments.

"So what will you do now, Kurosaki-san." Urahara asked him again.

"That's obvious isn't it?" Ichigo replied.

"I will fight in the Byakushintaikai."

..  
.

The door slid open and Ichigo turned, already knowing who it was. Hanatarō bowed briefly before walking in. In his hands were the folded garbs of the challenger's Shihakushō, the garment that had served as the funerary robes for so many of those before him.

"Ichigo-san." Hanatarō said. "It's time."

Ichigo nodded and stood up.

In a few moments, he was fully robed in the Shihakushō. The kosode was black while the shitagi was white, reminiscent of what the warriors of the Gotei Thirteen would wear. He took note of the two skull shaped insignias at his chest. They were the only things that made the two uniforms different.

Now that he was fully dressed, he took his two wrapped weapons and slid them into his obi. Outside the room in the hallway were three adjudicators waiting to escort him.

It was time.

"Ichigo-san... I will be there to address your wounds if you get any! But most importantly..." Hanatarō said as he bowed as deeply as he could. "Please save Rukia-san...!"

Ichigo started to leave and glanced at him one last time with determination on his face.

"Ah!"

.

Ichigo stood in the middle of an enormous white stadium. This was where the Byakushintaikai was going to take place. Two doorways led into its field, one for him and one for his opponent. The walls that surrounded the field were built purposely high, just enough to prevent either combatants from trying to escape. It also gave the spectators a bird's eye view of the fight.

He looked around. The ground beneath him was made of squares of white stone, similar to the material of what most of Seireitei was made of. It was also the same material that the spirit-sealing pit was made from.

Ichigo looked up to the spectators. Nobles of all levels of significance were attending, watching him with mild curiosity. There were two balconies but the balcony to his right was the one that caught his eye. It had three seats. Judging by the veil that would cover the person who would sit behind the middle seat, he deduced it was for the most important person attending.

On the opposite balcony were two large taiko drums. Their drummers were sitting patiently as they waited for their instructions. The announcer sat in between them. His face was covered to hide his identity, but his voice was not stifled by the cover.

"Welcome to the Byakushintaikai!" He yelled. "Our challenger this year hails from Karakurachō of Rukongai. He has already been clothed in the Shihakushō to represent his death. From death, he shall ascend into purity, or perish in his attempt!"

The taiko drums were beat a few times and cheers erupted from the crowd.

"Let Sokui begin!"

Ichigo readied himself. From the archway emerged his first opponent. They both stepped into the arena, just a few steps away from the reach of their swords. Another beat from the drum signaled the start of the match.

"My name is Kurumadani Zennosuke. I will be your first opponent -"

Before he could even finish or draw his weapon, Ichigo's right fist was already driven deep into his gut. Spit flew out of Zennosuke's mouth as an expression of surprise etched itself onto his face. Ichigo continued to look past him with a calm expression on his face.

"Sorry, but..." Ichigo started.

Zennosuke fell limply over onto his side.

"I have no time for formalities."

.  
..

Ichigo looked around curiously as Urahara led him down a long flight of stairs.

The room they entered was deep underneath the shop. It was a giant room, but well lit. There wasn't a corner of the room that didn't have a torch lighting it. He had never known about it, even though he had worked in the shop for so long. The wooden walls reminded him of the escape passage way that he and Rukia had used a long time ago.

"We'll be training here in this underground room." Urahara said. "Amazing isn't it?"

"Ah..." Ichigo replied.

Urahara walked over to a nearby wall. Ichigo's eyes widened. Weapons of all types hung from it, ranging from large lances to small daggers. Ichigo also noticed blacksmithing tools that sat nearby. They were in good condition, and seemed to be well taken care of. He wondered for a moment if they belonged to Urahara but chose not to say anything.

From that wall, Urahara picked out a sword that hung in the center of the collection. It was a medium sized sword with crimson tassel dangling from the bent hilt. Ichigo knew it was as dangerous as it was beautiful.

"That sword..." Ichigo said.

"'Benihime,' or crimson princess." Urahara said as he showed Ichigo the engraved name. "This is an example of the named swords that are the type of high-quality swords nobles will generally wield. It would be best to experience its type of power as soon as possible."

"Now, as for you..."

He turned back to the wall, and looked around for a bit. He went 'Ah hah!' and pulled one of the katana off of its rack. He held it in hands for a moment before turning to Ichigo.

"You will be using this for our training." He said brightly. He threw it to Ichigo without any warning. "Here, catch!"

"Hey!" Ichigo yelled as he barely moved out of the way. The sword made a loud thud as it hit the dirt ground. He scowled angrily. "That was dangerous!"

"Pick it up." Urahara said.

Ichigo grumbled, but did as he was told. As he grabbed the hilt, his eyes lit up. He held up the sword in both hands, and stared at it with slight wonder in his eyes.

"This sword is heavy." Ichigo said with surprise.

"Correct. It's made from steel that is four times heavier. The first step in your training is strength training." Urahara said. He pointed his sword at Ichigo. "Are you ready to begin?"

"Ready!" Ichigo replied as he took a stance.

Urahara paused for a moment as he observed Ichigo's stance.

"Wait just a minute..." Urahara said. He grabbed some rope from the wall and walked over to Ichigo. "Ah, there we go!"

Ichigo looked down at himself in confusion. Urahara had bound his left arm to his body so he couldn't use it. He was only able to hold his sword in one hand.

"You'll be using one arm for each session." Urahara said. He pointed his sword at Ichigo. "We'll start with your right today."

"Why are you making me use -" Ichigo asked.

Urahara charged at him before he could finish his sentence. Ichigo didn't have any time to react as the hilt of Urahara's sword was driven into his gut. He gasped as the air was knocked out of him, and his entire body was knocked to the ground. His katana fell out his hands and landed a few feet away.

He coughed painfully as he laid there.

"That was cheap!" Ichigo said angrily as he slowly sat up.

"You would have died if it was the pointed end, Kurosaki-san." Urahara said firmly. Ichigo's eyes widened at his statement. "This is your first lesson; the element of surprise can sometimes be your greatest weapon."

..  
.

"The... the fight is over!" The announcer yelled as the drums were beat. He seemed shocked at the way the battle had ended. "The challenger moves onto the second round of Sokui!"

The crowed started to talk amongst themselves. They didn't expect the fight to go the way it did. Two people came out to drag Zennosuke's body out of the field. Uninjured, Ichigo waited patiently as his next opponent walked into the ring.

He was bald man with slanted eyes. Ichigo couldn't help but notice the excitement on his face when he had entered the field.

"Madarame Ikkaku." The man introduced himself.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichigo replied.

"Ichigo, huh? That's a good name." Ikkaku said with a smirk. "They say all talented men have names with 'ichi' in them."

He drew his sword. The drums signaled the second round.

"Draw your weapon, Ichigo!" He yelled.

Ichigo made no motion to comply.

"Fine..." He said with a sadistic smile. "I'll make you draw your weapon then!"

Ikkaku struck out at him with his sword. To his surprise, Ichigo was able to dodge all his strikes, whether they were stabs or slashes. Furious at this little silly game of cat and mouse, Ikkaku increase the speed of his blows, and Ichigo was forced to back away.

He had managed one hit. A cut above Ichigo's eye started to bleed.

"You move well for someone who comes from Rukongai." Ikkaku said, impressed at his skills. "Just saying that it's just your instincts isn't really enough."

His eyes narrowed.

"Who's your teacher?"

"I can't say that he's my teacher, but he is the man who trained me." Ichigo replied.

"Who is he?" Ikkaku asked.

Ichigo paused before he answered.

"Urahara Kisuke."

Ikkaku's eyes widened. Ichigo noticed this, but he didn't know what to make of it. It seemed as though Urahara was well known in Seireitei. That didn't surprise Ichigo though. He knew that there was more to that man than he could ever realize.

"I see." Ikkaku said quietly. "So he's your teacher."

He shifted into a stance, and charged with more aggression than he did before.

"It would be rude, if I were to go easy on you!"

Ichigo dodged another strike of Ikkaku's sword. From the corner of his eye, he noticed an incoming shadow and was barely able to dodge Ikkaku's attack with his sheath.

"Almost got you!" Ikkaku yelled.

Ichigo's eyes continued to follow Ikkaku's strikes, dodging them just by inches. He could see his movements. He could see them very clearly. Even though he was fighting Ikkaku, he could imagine as though he was fighting Urahara all over again.

It was all thanks to Urahara's training.

.  
..

Urahara was attacking Ichigo relentlessly. Ichigo was being pushed back with each swing, barely able to defend himself, let alone retaliate. With one powerful strike from Urahara, Ichigo's sword flew out of his hand.

Urahara turned his sword to the side and attempted to strike Ichigo with its hilt again. Weaponless, and unable to dodge, Ichigo grimaced. With all the strength he could muster, he grabbed onto the hilt, stopping it moments before it could smash into his face.

"Oh...?" Urahara said with surprise. He smiled. "You can see my strikes now, can't you?"

Ichigo looked surprised at Urahara's comment. He quickly ducked as Urahara pulled back and swung at him again. If the attack had hit, it would loped his head cleanly off.

Urahara smiled as Ichigo looked up at him angrily.

"You can see them now. Excellent. We're making progress."

..  
.

Ichigo swayed back from another slash of Ikkaku's blade. He followed through on the attack, thrusting his sheath towards Ichigo's stomach.

Ichigo's hand gripped onto its end just before impact.

For a moment, it looked as though Ikkaku had finally gotten a good hit in. He smirked for a moment in victory, but when Ichigo lifted his head, that expression was wiped off his face. The sheath was still a few inches away from his stomach.

'He single handed stopped my attack...?' Ikkaku thought in surprise.

Ikkaku didn't get another moment to think. He grunted in pain as Ichigo kicked him in the stomach and pulled the sheath out of his hands. Ikkaku's feet nimbly slid on the ground as he tried to regain his footing, and he scowled as he wiped the blood that trickled down the corner of his mouth.

"Give up." Ichigo said as he raised the sheath he had liberated from Ikkaku.

"Don't give me that bullshit." Ikkaku yelled angrily. "I'm still standing, aren't I? If I can still swing my sword, then the fight isn't over yet!"

He charged with a loud war cry.

'This guy is strong...!' He thought as he swung his sword. Ichigo swayed back again to dodge it. 'So strong...!'

He laughed wildly as he thrust his sword forward. Ichigo only watched as it came closer and closer to him.

'This is what it means to fight someone truly strong...!"

Ichigo sidestepped at the last second and twisted his body around. With a sickening crack, he swung the sheath in his hands right into the back of Ikkaku's head. Ikkaku barely had time to register what happened. He had been struck with his own sheath. His eyes were already glazed over as he started to fall.

And he hit the ground with a dull thud.

"The match is over! The challenger moves onto the third round of Sokui!"

.

Ichigo walked back onto the field. A white bandage covered the wound he had received from the previous fight with Ikkaku. His opponent walked in from the other side, a person whom Ichigo already knew from long ago. The both of them stopped at their designated spots and waited for the signal to start.

"Abarai Renji." Ichigo said disdainfully.

"Kurosaki Ichigo." Renji said. He scowled angrily. "You're supposed to be dead. What are you doing here, Ichigo?"

"I'm here to save, Rukia." Ichigo replied with a scowl of his own.

"I see. So that's what you're planning." Renji said. He drew his sword. "But it's useless. There's no way you're ever going to defeat Kuchiki-taichō."

Ichigo's eyes lit up, but he didn't seem surprised by the news.

"So he is going to be my next opponent." Ichigo said calmly.

"Ah." Renji replied. The drums rang and he charged forward. "If you survive this round with me!"

Ichigo's eyes widened as Renji's first strike nearly cut his cheek. He quickly moved back, but Renji kept up with him. Ichigo's eyes widened as Renji raised his blade.

"You want to save Rukia?" Renji asked. "You want to save her with only this much power?"

Renji swung down and slashed Ichigo once across the shoulder, just as he had done the last time they fought.

"You are a fool, Ichigo!" Renji yelled.

Ichigo stepped back, breathing heavily as he grabbed his shoulder. Renji's expression quickly changed as he looked at Ichigo's face. His brown eyes showed no weakness. They were the same eyes from last time. They pierced him as though he could see right through him.

"Is that the best you can do?" Ichigo asked.

He pulled out one of his weapons from his obi, and unwrapped the white cloth that bound it. It was revealed to be a long black katana with a cross-like guard and a long chain hung off its hilt. It's name was engraved into the side of the blade.

"That sword is..." Renji muttered.

"'Tensa Zangetsu.'" Ichigo said.

Ichigo stepped in close to Renji in an instant, and the latter was barely able to block the upward slash that was aimed at him. When Ichigo struck had his sword, Renji felt his feet being lifted off the ground before he slid back several yards. He looked down in surprise at his arms. They were trembling from the impact.

'What strength...!' He thought.

"Sorry, Renji." Ichigo said as he suddenly appeared behind him. "I'm going to finish this in one strike."

Ichigo raised Tensa Zangetsu into air and the sun gleamed off its obsidian edge.

.  
..

Ichigo breathed heavily as he lifted his sword in his right arm.

They had fighting for some time now. Ichigo had gotten use to defending himself and had started to go on the offensive. But something was wrong. When Urahara struck him, it felt as though his blade could shatter from the impact. But when he struck him back, Urahara shrugged it off like it was a mosquitoe bite.

"Seems like you realized it. Your strikes are weak, Kurosaki-san. Do you know why?" Urahara asked. "You are afraid."

He held up his sword.

"You are afraid of being cut. You are afraid to cut. You are afraid to kill. A sword that cannot cut is no longer a sword. It is no more threatening than a branch."

Urahara's face fell impassive.

"I'm disappointed. At this rate, Kuchiki-san will die."

Ichigo's eyes lit up at his words. He moved forward in an instant and brought his sword down overhead. Surprised at his sudden increase in speed, Urahara was barely able to block the strike. Ichigo continued push down on him, and Urahara's face lit up in surprise as he found that he was the one being pushed back.

With a kick, he pushed Ichigo away so he could create some distance between them. Ichigo slid back before falling onto one knee in fatigue.

"What strength." Urahara said with a small smile. "If I had been using my shikomizue..."

He lowered his sword, which was chipped halfway through where Ichigo had struck.

"You would have taken my life."

..  
.

Ichigo's eyes seemed to radiate with his strength as he brought down Tensa Zangetsu. Renji quickly brought his own sword up to block, but it was all in vain. Renji's sword was instantly splintered in half by the impact. Ichigo's blade struck then him and a large gash was cut across his torso. With widened eyes, he tried to rationalize what had happened.

'I lost.' He realized.

His hair had become undone, and he slowly lifted his eyes through the long bangs so he could look at Ichigo. Ichigo stood before him fearlessly, staring down at him with an impassive expression. Renji's hands gripped the remainder of his sword tightly as he struggled to move.

'Damn it… My feet won't move… My arm won't rise…' He thought. 'Damn it! How did I lose? This is impossible…'

He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth in frustration.

'Rukia…!'

.  
..

'It was four years ago when Rukia's sister, Hisana was married into the Kuchiki family. It was four years ago when Rukia became a noble.'

Renji and Rukia were standing on an high outlook at the edge of their little town. It was a rather poor looking area, with broken down buildings that occupied most of the area. Small patches of farm littered the fields close by, along with a single well that the villagers seemed to all share.

"Why'd you call me out here?" Renji asked.

"Renji… I…" Rukia started off. She hesitated a moment before speaking. "I'm going to be adopted into the Kuchiki House."

She turned to him quietly and waited for his response. Renji stared at her with a look of disbelief. She was going to be a noble now. She was going to leave this place. He grimaced for a moment at those thoughts, but hid it from her.

"That's great! Once you become a Kuchiki, you'll have everything you will ever need or want!" He said with a big grin. "I'm so jealous right now!"

Rukia looked at him sadly.

"Is that so?" She replied quietly.

"What's with that expression?" Renji asked. He sighed lightly. "Cheer up. You're going to be a noble. Your life is going to be much better now."

"How long have we've known each other now, Renji?" Rukia asked as she turned away from him.

Renji looked at her in surprise.

"About ten years." He replied.

"Did I even once during that time, ever look like I hated how hard my life was?" She asked.

With that, she turned and walked past him without meeting his eyes. He only stood there, forcing himself not to look back. He was afraid that if he did, he would have tried to stop her.

'She had an incredibly lonely expression on her face, but she was going to have a good life now. She was finally going to have a good life. I couldn't get in the way of that. I had to keep telling myself that.'

His hand clenched for a moment.

'So I did what I thought was right.'

But he relaxed, his hand fell limp.

'I let her go.'

..  
.

Summoning all of his remaining strength, Renji stepped forward.

"Ichigo...!" Renji yelled as he grabbed Ichigo's kimono.

Ichigo didn't react. He stood there stonily as he waited for Renji to finish what he needed to say.

"Ever since Rukia left, I trained everyday to get into the Gotei Thirteen just so I can get just a little bit closer to her… I wanted to protect her… but fighting to save Rukia now is all but an impossible dream for me… I don't have the power to change anything...!"

"Ichigo… I'm probably shameless for doing this, but I have to ask you…!"

He bent his head and his eyes clenched closed at the emotions that welled within him.

"Please… you have to save Rukia…!"

Renji had no strength left afterwards. His grip on Ichigo diminished and he started to fall. He had no regrets for losing. He knew that even though he had fallen, there was still someone who could do what he couldn't. Ichigo was the man he was going to place his hopes in.

His body hit the ground soundlessly.

Ichigo looked down at him, and his eyes softened.

"… Ah."

.

"The match is over! The challenger moves onto the fourth and final round of Sokui!"

Ichigo winced. Hanatarō was wrapping bandages across his injured shoulder. The cut that Renji had given him wasn't deep, but it still stung. In a few moments, the bandaging was finished and Ichigo pulled back on his kosode in preparation for his final fight.

"You're almost there, Ichigo-san." Hanatarō said.

"Ah." Ichigo replied. "Just one more round."

Ichigo picked up Tensa Zangetsu and walked out into the field. Kuchiki Byakuya was already waiting for him. They stared at each other impassively as they stood face to face in the center of the field. Neither of them moved, even though the drums had already sounded.

"It's been a while, Kuchiki Byakuya." Ichigo said.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. I'm surprised that you are still alive after our first encounter." Byakuya said calmly.

He drew his sword and held it in front of his face. The blade was pure white like Rukia's, but it did not have the same tail ribbon that her sword did. It's guard was also different, tempered into the shape of wings. On its side was its name, engraved into the blade like all swords of its class were.

"'Senbonzakura Kageyoshi'." Ichigo read. "Vibrant display of a thousand cherry blossoms."

"You should have stayed away and lived your life." Byakuya said. "Instead, you chose to come here to throw it away."

Suddenly, Ichigo appeared in front of Byakuya, with the point of his sword just an inch from his neck. Byakuya face lit up with surprise. Ichigo had closed the distance between them instantly. He was no longer the same person he had fought so long ago.

"I'm not here to throw it away." Ichigo replied.

With that, he moved back to create some distance.

"What did you stay your blade?" Byakuya asked with a hint of anger in his voice. "Are you holding back against me?"

He seemed to disappear as he stepped forward. Having experience this technique before, Ichigo quickly turned around as Byakuya reappeared in his blind spot. Black met white as they crossed swords in the middle of the field.

"I will make you regret for not having pierced my throat." Byakuya said.

They pushed off, and it soon erupted into a high speed battle. The sound of clanging steel echoed in the stadium as they continued to clashed over and over again. From the outside, their blades seemed to have been dancing in a blur of black and white streaks. The nobles watching the battle fell into complete awe at what they were witnessing.

In the aftermath, they both broke apart with Ichigo being the one who took the most damage. He breathed deeply as he looked down at all the cuts on his body.

"These cuts aren't even deep." Ichigo said. He looked up at Byakuya. "Now, it's my turn to ask you… Why are you holding back?"

Byakuya's eyes widened.

"The strength of your attack depends on how much resolve is behind it. That's why when Renji cut me before, the cut was extremely shallow." Ichigo explained. "Regardless of what you may say, your sword reflects what your heart truly wants."

His eyes narrowed.

"You don't show it, but even you want to save Rukia."

Byakuya stared at the man in front of him, realizing that Ichigo was a far more profound person than he had originally thought he was.

"I see. So you took the hits on purpose to test our mettle at the cost of your own body." Byakuya said. "So be it. If you want to continually trample upon our pride, I will come at you with everything I've got."

"Tell me... why don't you try to save Rukia?" Ichigo asked as he gripped his sword tightly.

"I will answer that question if you defeat me." Byakuya replied, mirroring him.

"Then I will also come at you with everything I've got." Ichigo replied.

He drew the second weapon from his obi.

.  
..

Ichigo stared at the weapons on the ground. Urahara had thrown them at him just a moment ago. It was a pair of swords, a daitō and a shōtō. He picked them both up awkwardly, scowling slightly as he test his grip on them.

"Daishō?" Ichigo asked. He looked at Urahara in disbelief. "Now you want me to fight you with both weapons?"

"Yep!" Urahara replied as though it was the most obvious answer.

"Are you insane?" Ichigo asked with confusion. "I barely know how to use a katana! How do you expect me to use a wakazashi too -"

Just like last time, Urahara charged him before he could finish his sentence. Ichigo reacted swiftly this time, rolling away just in time to escape. Kneeling on the ground, Ichigo looked up at Urahara.

"You've never been taught traditional fighting. You've always fought with nothing more than your fists and instinct. You aren't the type of person who learns best through formal training." Urahara explained. "You are the type who learns best through experience. This is the only way that you'll become strong enough by the time of the Byakushintakai."

"Then teach me how to fight!" Ichigo yelled angrily.

"I am teaching you how to fight." Urahara replied calmly as he pointed his sword at him. "I am fighting you in order to teach you."

Urahara instantly attacked him again. Unable to move away this time, he brought up both swords to block the attack. He struck out with his short sword, and Urahara moved back to avoid being cut. Instinctively, he used the sword in his other hand to follow through.

When Urahara slid to a stop, he looked down at his sleeve in surprise. Part of it had been cut. Ichigo looked surprised at his own ability.

'It's like my body is moving on its own.' Ichigo thought with surprise. 'This is the result...'

His memories flashed of all the previous skirmishes he had with Urahara using only one hand.

'Of that training...!'

"Seems like the training has paid off, hasn't it, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara said.

"What is this, exactly?" Ichigo asked, confused as what he was doing.

"The style you are using is called Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū . This is the style of the late Miyamoto Musashi. It is also the style of a captain in the Gotei Thirteen named Kyouraku Shunsui." Urahara said with a smile. "My plan was to teach an unorthodox fighter like you an unorthodox sword style. This is the best way for you to defeat those who have learned everything by the book."

"An unorthodox sword style?" Ichigo asked.

"This style is unorthodox because it requires great strength and technique to overcome the lack of leverage and control. As you have noticed, I've already greatly increased the strength of your strikes through our initial training. And slowly, you'll learn the techniques through instinct and experience."

He pointed to the swords in Ichigo's hands.

"The sword techniques that you are using are called Nitō Ichi."

"Nitō Ichi..." Ichigo muttered.

He looked down at the swords in his hands.

"'Two swords as one.'"

..  
.

The white wrapping flew off, and Ichigo revealed his second sword. Compared to Tensa Zangetsu, it was pure white. The long ribbon that was attached to its circled around him as he took a fighting stance with both swords in hand.

"That style is..." Byakuya said. "Hyōhō Niten Ichi-ryū ."

"My sword is called Tensa Zangetsu." Ichigo said. "This second sword, however, isn't mine."

"That blade is..." Byakuya started.

"Ah..." He turned it to the side so it's name could be read.

It read 'Sode no Shirayuki.'

"It's Rukia's sword."

.  
..

The month of training passed by and now it was time for him to head to Seireitei. After gathering some things for traveling with at home, he walked back to the Urahara Shōten. Urahara was already waiting for him when he arrived back in front of the shop. Ichigo noticed the long wrapped item in his hands.

"Seems as though your wounds have healed up nicely. Are you ready to head out, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara asked lightly.

Ichigo nodded in response.

"As I promised, I have finished crafting your sword." Urahara said as he handed the wrapped weapon to him. "Care to read it's name?"

Ichigo unwrapped the sword, and his eyes widened at the long black katana in his hands.

"'Tensa Zangetsu.'" Ichigo said as he read it's name. "Heavenly chain slaying moon."

"That will be your daitōu. As for the wakazashi -" Urahara started.

"That won't be necessary." Ichigo said. He reached behind him into his knapsack. "I've already brought the other sword."

He pulled out a long white blade that had been wrapped just as Tensa Zangetsu was.

"'Sode no Shirayuki.'" Urahara said casually. "Sleeve of white snow. This is Kuchiki-san's sword, is it not?"

"She left it here when she was taken away." Ichigo said as his memories flashed with an image of Rukia.

"Do you plan on using that katana over a wakazashi?" Urahara asked.

"Ah." Ichigo replied. He noticed the humorous look on Urahara's face. "What's so funny?"

"It's just interesting." Urahara said. "The term daishō literally means big-little and Nitō Ichi literally means 'two swords as one.' Both meanings imply that both swords are two parts to a whole. It's a matching couple like husband and wife where one is superior to the other. But you, Kurosaki-san are using two equal blades. It's like saying that both parts are equal."

Urahara looked at the two swords that Ichigo held side by side. Tensa Zangetsu and Sode no Shirayuki were both of exact equal length.

"Is that because you also think of Kuchiki-san as your match and equal?"

Ichigo's eyes lit up at his statement, but he smirked as he realized that it was true. He rewrapped both swords and slid them into his obi.

"Ah. I do." Ichigo said with a smile. He turned, and started to walk away. "Thanks for everything, Urahara-san."

"Best of luck, Kurosaki-san." He replied.

Ichigo started to walk towards the sunset, passing through unfamiliar territory for days as the giant fortress of Seireitei loomed ever closer. In his final day of traveling, he fell into his thoughts as he walked and Urahara's words from before echoed in his memory.

"_Is that because you also think of Kuchiki-san as your match and equal?" _

'That's right.' Ichigo thought. 'In this time and age, a respectful woman always walks a few steps modestly behind the man as a sign of subservience, but Rukia has always walked right at my side. Rather than saying that 'she'd always be behind me,' she was telling me that 'she'd always be at my side.'

'Before I knew it, she had become an important part of my life.'

He came across a hill, and he stood on top of it to look down at the west gate of Seireitei. People were already crowding in the area below him to sign up for the tournament. Ichigo looked up towards the sky, and closed his eyes as a small breeze blew over him.

'That's the kind of amazing person she is.'

..  
.

Blood splattered onto the ground.

Both Ichigo and Byakuya slid back from each other with wounds all over their body. They were both breathing heavily, gripping their swords tightly as they prepared for their next strike. In an instant, they both met in the center of the field with clang of steel.

"Why... are you trying so hard to save Rukia?" Byakuya asked.

"Because she's the reason I'm still here!" Ichigo replied.

They both separated again with another swing of their swords.

"The only thing I ever really wanted was the 'power to crush destiny.'" Ichigo said as he bent forward. "But I didn't know where I could get that kind of power."

"Someone once told me that people become truly strong when they're trying to protect what's most important to them. I thought that was simple for me to answer; I wanted to protect people. But that wasn't enough. I didn't really understand what it meant to have something important to protect."

"But when Rukia came into my life, that changed."

"At first, I thought that I was just repaying a debt. But before I could even realize it, she had become someone that I had truly wanted to protect. When she was taken away, I knew that no matter what happens to me, I had to save her."

He charged forward in an instant.

"And in order to save her, this is the power that I've had to obtain!"

With one powerful swing, Ichigo knocked Byakuya back.

"Before I met her, my life was dark and gray. I was powerless to change anything or protect anyone!" Ichigo yelled. "But when she came into my life, she filled my world with color. And now, I've become strong because of her!"

Ichigo moved forward to close the distance between them, and swung down both swords. Byakuya grimaced as he tried to defend himself.

"Rukia... was the one who changed my world!"

In a flash of black and white, Byakuya's sword shattered from the impact of both swords. He closed his eyes as he felt both blades cut through him.

.  
..

Kuchiki Byakuya sat next to a woman who was lying in a futon before him. She looked a lot like Rukia, but had a much more gentle expression. Though Byakuya's face was impassive, one could easily tell that he truly cared for the woman. He had been sitting by her side for days now.

The woman stirred and her eyes fluttered open. She looked around in slight urgency.

"Where is Rukia?" She said weakly as she tried to sit up.

"I told her to go outside, Hisana." Byakuya said, pushing her back down gently. "I didn't think it was a good idea to have her see you like this."

Hisana smiled lightly.

"That girl is strong. She will be fine even without me."

"Hisana…" Byakuya said disapprovingly.

"These years I've spent with you have been like a dream." Hisana said quietly. "I am sorry that I will not be able to repay the love you have shown me in this lifetime. Once I die, I'll not only be leaving you as a widow, but my sister without kin."

"But I'm glad that she will still have you, Byakuya-sama."

"She's been lonely ever since we've came here. That was my fault. I thought that I could give her a better life, but instead, I've caused her to become distant. She never opens up her heart and has trouble making friends."

She held out her hand.

"Promise me that you'll watch over her and protect her for my sake."

Byakuya took it, and bowed his head in acknowledgment.

"I promise, Hisana."

And she smiled at him softly.

..  
.

A cross of slashes appeared on Byakuya's chest as Ichigo brought down both swords upon him. He grunted in pain as he took a few steps back. Blood started to stain the floor where he stood. The kenseiken on his forehead had also been destroyed, and with heavy breaths, he looked up at Ichigo.

Ichigo was in a no better condition. He was hunched forward in pain and bleeding all over. Compared to Byakuya, he had received more wounds from the skirmishes, though they were mostly shallow, superficial cuts. But the fights had taken its toll on him. He could barely hold up both of his swords without trembling in pain.

"You wanted to know the reason why I didn't choose to save Rukia." Byakuya said. Ichigo's eyes lit up. "I will give you that answer now. One who commits a crime must suffer the consequences. Those are the rules."

"Just for a rule, you would kill someone even if she is your sister?" Ichigo asked.

"In light of the rules, personal feelings have no value. The Kuchiki Clan is one of the four noble families. We are the roles models for all other nobles." Byakuya continued. "If we do not obey the rules, then who will?"

Ichigo stared at him for a few moments.

"Sorry... but I still don't understand..." He replied. "If it was me..."

His eyes narrowed.

"I'd definitely fight the rules."

'I see.' Byakuya thought as he stared at Ichigo. 'I was never the one that he was fighting. From the very start, he has been fighting against the rules of Seireitei.'

An image of Kaien Shiba flashed in his memory.

'He is the same as that infuriatingly liberal man.'

"Kurosaki Ichigo..." Byakuya said as he turned away. "Your liberalness has shattered my pride..."

He started to walk away.

"The victor of this battle... is you..."

"Promise me something, Kuchiki Byakuya!" Ichigo yelled. Byakuya paused and glanced over his shoulder to him. "When I save Rukia..."

Ichigo bowed his head.

"Please take care of her for me."

Byakuya closed his eyes, and nodded.

.

"Give this to her when she comes out, Hanatarō." Ichigo said as he held out Sode no Shirayuki.

"I will, Ichigo-san." Hanatarō said quietly as he took the sword.

Ichigo took one last look at him, and gave him a thankful smile.

"Thank you... for everything you've done..."

"Ichigo-san..." Hanatarō said quietly.

'This is it...' Ichigo thought as he walked onto the field. 'The final battle...'

'Kiyome.'

_Urahara smiled before he said one word._

"_Kiyome."_

"_Kiyome?" Ichigo asked in confusion._

"_Kiyome represents the core concept of the Byakushintaikai. It is the final battle fought between the 'one who has rose from taint' and the 'one who fell to taint.' The 'one who rose from taint' is the challenger. The 'one who fell to taint' is a chosen Seireitei criminal, usually the one of highest rank. The winner of this battle will be reborn into purity."_

"_Kiyome is nothing more than a death sentence for the challenger. By the time the challenger reaches Kiyome, he or she has already become exhausted by the fights of Sokui. It makes them easy prey. To the nobles of Seireitei, watching a former noble redeem themselves through Kiyome enforces the their beliefs that the nobles of Seireitei are superior to those in Rukongai."_

"_For the Seireitei criminal, Kiyome represents a chance to redeem themselves. Normally, criminals of Seireitei don't get this chance because the challenger never makes it to Kiyome and are executed shortly after the tournament. In literal sense, it was a false hope given to torment them with before they would be executed. Most retain the will to live, only to find it was hopeless in the end."_

"_In either case, Seireitei wins, and regardless of who wins, 'evil' will be cleansed." _

"_That's why you must become the challenger of the Byakushintaikai and reach Kiyome. This is when you will meet Kuchiki-san in the Byakushintaikai. If Kuchiki-san wins this battle, she will become cleansed of all her sins and once again become pure in the eyes of the nobles. If she wins, her crimes will be lifted."_

_Urahara's face darkened. _

"_But you probably have already realize what you must do when you reach Kiyome."_

'I understood from the very start that the next time I see Rukia...' Ichigo thought as the memory faded. 'It will probably be the last time that I ever will...'

Rukia was escorted out from the other side by three masked adjudicators. Her face was covered with a veil, and her arms were tied behind her back. When they arrived at the edge of the field, they untied her. The veil was taken off, and her eyes struggled to adjust to the light.

They widened when she saw Ichigo standing on the opposite side of the field.

"Ichigo!" She said with surprise.

As quickly as he could, Hanatarō walked up and handed her back her sword.

"Ichigo-san said to give this to you." He said. He looked down in shame and his eyes clenched closed. "I'm sorry...!"

With that, he ran off.

"Wait...! Hanatarō!" Rukia yelled. She looked at the sword in her hand. "What's going on? Why is Ichigo -"

And her eyes widened as she realized what was happening.

"It can't be..." She muttered.

She looked up as the sound the beating drums signaled the start of the match.

"One, who started out impure but rose to purity. One, who started out pure but fell to the taint of the world. Both are on the brink of being reborn! Whoever obtains victory in this final ritual shall be cleansed of his or her sins!"

"Let the Kiyome begin!"

Ichigo's eyes narrowed as he gripped the hilt of his sword.

"_Don't move around too much, Ichigo-san. The wounds you got from your last fight are deep."_

"_How long do I have?" Ichigo asked._

"_You have a few minutes at most, but If you don't get treatment after that..." _

_Hanatarō's expression fell._

"_You'll most likely die."_

Ichigo coughed up some blood. He wiped it with his hand and raised Tensa Zangetsu. He held it so the point of the sword was directly over his heart. His eyes met Rukia's once more and he closed them as the memories of their time together flashed in his mind.

'Thank you... for everything...' He thought.

"Stop!" Rukia yelled. Ichigo's eyes snapped open at the hollowness of her voice, and they widened.

She held her own sword over her heart to mirror him.

"I'm not a fool, Ichigo." She said angrily. "You had told me you had a plan to free me from the sins of my crime. I didn't understand what you meant back then, but now that I see you in front of me..."

Her face softened as she struggled to hold back tears.

"You were planning to sacrifice yourself for my sake, weren't you, Ichigo?"

"Rukia..." Ichigo said.

"Didn't you realize that if you had killed yourself in front of me... that I would have just followed you into the next world?" Rukia said. "Did you even think of that before you decided to come here?"

"Rukia..." Ichigo said again.

"I will never forgive you for this..." She said.

They stared at one another for a few moments with indescribable emotions reflected upon their faces. Then simultaneously, both their swords dropped from their hands and fell silently to the ground.

Time seemed to stop as they started to moved closer to one another, one step at a time. The speed of their steps gradually increased and the distance between disappeared. In an instant, Ichigo's strong arms wrapped Rukia's small body into a tight embrace. She held onto him, clutching the fabric of his kimono with her hands.

"You... idiot...!" She muttered into his chest.

Ichigo lowered his head so that his bangs hid his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He whispered to her.

From the right balcony, one of the nobles turned towards the figure that was hidden behind the veil. He had long white hair and gentle face. His features were knotted after what he had witnessed.

"Yamamoto-sensei!" He said urgently.

The noble from the other side spoke up as well. He was an unshaven man with a pink haori over his uniform. His normally impassive face held a shadow of sadness.

"Yamaji. These two... they are..." He started.

The figure being the screen held up his hand to silence them.

"Be quiet, Shunsui, Jūshirō." He said in a deep voice.

Back on the field, Ichigo and Rukia had separated from one another. Ichigo looked down at Rukia, watching her as she looked over him. Her face fell when she noticed all the wounds he had received from his fights.

"Fool." Rukia said quietly. Her hand moved over the bandages that covered his chest. "You're all torn up. You're as reckless as usual."

She looked up at him with a proud smile.

"But you've sure have grown strong, Ichigo."

"Ah..." Ichigo said as he smiled back. "It was done all for your sake, so you should show a little more gratitude."

"Idiot." Rukia replied with a small chuckle.

Her expression fell as she looked away.

"But what are we going to do now? Even if we miraculously escape from this, Seireitei will just hunt us down. You're also in no condition to fight anymore."

She turned back to him, and lifted her eyes to him.

"Let me be the one to save you, Ichigo."

"Rukia..." Ichigo muttered in surprise. He coughed again, and a blood dripped down the side of his mouth.

"If you live in Seireitei, you can have the things you've always wanted. You can have the power to protect the people you care about. But most importantly, if it means that I can you get out of here alive, then I -"

"Don't even say it!" Ichigo yelled angrily.

"Ichigo…" Rukia said in surprise.

"Everything I want… is right here…!" He yelled.

His expression contorted in pain as his hand clutched his heart. Rukia's face lit up with concern.

"I came here to save you...!" Ichigo continued. "I swore it to my soul...!"

The corners of his vision started to darken. He stumbled as he took a step forward and his eyes glazed over.

"Rukia..." He muttered. "I... will... protect..."

He started to fall forward as the darkness fully engulfed him. The last thing he could remember was Rukia's voice as she called out desperately to him.

"Ichigo!"

.

It was so dark.

"Rukia..."

Ichigo couldn't see anything at all.

"Rukia..."

But suddenly, there was a ray of light in the darkness.

"Rukia...!"

And his eyes slowly opened. To his surprise, Rukia was looking down at him from above with a relieved expression. Ichigo looked up at her, wondering if it was real, or if he was dreaming. But when she smiled down at him, he relaxed and felt that he really didn't care either way.

"Ichigo, you're awake." She said softly.

"Where am I?" Ichigo said as he shifted around. His entire body ached, but he was able to sit up with Rukia's help.

"You're in the Kuchiki Estate in Seireitei." Rukia said lightly. "Nii-sama made sure you received the best treatment possible."

"I see. Byakuya and Renji then... are they...?" Ichigo asked.

"Both of them are doing just fine. Better than you are right now." Rukia assured him.

"I see." Ichigo said in relief.

Rukia stared at him for a moment before she spoke.

"You were calling out my name in your sleep, Ichigo." Rukia said with a haughty smile.

Ichigo looked away awkwardly, and a small tinge of red appeared on his cheeks. Rukia only continued to smile at him, making him feel more and more embarrassed about it.

"What's with that expression?" He muttered with a scowl. "Is something wrong with that?"

"Not at all." Rukia replied cheerfully.

Ichigo smiled lightly. But when his eyes fell over his bandaged body, he wondered what had happened. He didn't know how he had managed to get out alive. In his case, he had been sure that he was going to die.

"What happened after I fell unconscious?" Ichigo asked.

Rukia closed her eyes, and started to tell him.

.  
..

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled.

Ichigo's body fell forward and Rukia moved to catch him. He was much heavier than she was; she was only able hold him up momentarily before lowering him to the ground. She placed his head in her lap and looked down at him with distress on her face. His wounds had started to bleed again, and his face started to lose its color.

"Ichigo!" Rukia yelled again.

The nobles watching from above were speechless. They had seen everything play out between Ichigo and Rukia. As they watched Rukia cry desperately for Ichigo, it stirred the humanity in them, rousing the same feelings of compassion that nobles had thrown away thrown away since the formation of Seireitei. One by one, they started to look around, yelling for someone to stop the tournament.

'This is too much.' They all thought from the bottoms of their hearts. 'This isn't right'

'This is too cruel.'

Rukia continued to yell Ichigo's name, each more distressed than the last.

"Ichigo...!"

Her chest heaved in and out as she looked up desperately towards the stands. She wanted to find someone - anyone who could help. Ichigo was going to die if she didn't do something. She had to do something to save him.

"Please!" She screamed as loud as she could. "Please take him away and heal his wounds! I don't care what happens to me, just -"

"That's enough!" A deep voice yelled. The entire stadium fell into silence.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni appeared from behind his veil, and approached the edge of the balcony. Rukia looked up at him as he observed her with an impassive expression.

"That's enough..." He repeated.

..  
.

"The Captain-Commander stopped the fight and he didn't say anything more." Rukia finished. "The tournament was cancelled and you were taken away to be healed. Under his orders, both of us were to be released."

Ichigo fell silent as he thought over her story.

"I don't understand." Ichigo said with confusion. "Why did he let us go?"

"Nii-sama told me that it was because the Captain-Commander was moved by your actions." Rukia said. "You reminded him of the ideals that were thrown away since the formation of Seireitei. Since he was the one who had united the land, he was probably the one who understood your feelings the most…"

"The feeling of what it meant to fight and protect something important."

"The nobles who were watching also felt those feelings. You showed them something they've forgotten. Perhaps now, the nobles will finally realize that the people of Rukongai are just like them; that there is no such thing as pure and taint - that they are also just people who are parents and children."

Rukia turned to him with a small smile.

"Because of you, the Byakushintaikai will never take place again and Seireitei itself is probably going to change."

"Urahara trained me was because he was confident I was going to be able to change things." Ichigo said with a serious expression. "It's funny; I thought what I wanted was 'the power to crush destiny.' But in reality, it was nothing as extraordinary as something like that."

"The power I gained was only enough to protect just one person..." He turned to Rukia. "But that person meant everything to me. In a way, it felt as though I was able to protect everything important to me."

"It was only after that, that I figured out that I had never wanted 'the power to crush fate.' In the end, all I ever wanted was the power to protect you."

He looked at her for a few moments.

"I became strong because of you, Rukia."

Rukia's eyes lit up with surprise at his words. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. For a few moments, she stared at him silently. Then her features gradually changed; she looked at him with an utmost tender expression on her face.

"You're an idiot. How are you able to say something like that? How am I suppose to respond to that?" Rukia said. "Back when you came for me at the holding cell, I had so many things that I want to tell you. Back when I was taken away, I had so many things that I wanted to say to you! But right now, when you're here I can't say any of them...!"

She looked down, and her eyes clenched closed as her face contorted with relief.

"Right now, I'm just really happy that you're okay...!"

Ichigo looked away, and his face softened.

"Ah. Sorry for worrying you, Rukia."

.

A month had passed by since the Byakushintaikai.

For a while, Ichigo had lived at the Kuchiki Estate. He had spent most of his time resting so his wounds could heal. But today, he was leaving. With his knapsack over his shoulder and his sword at his side, Rukia escorted him outside of the Kuchiki Estate. The west gate of Seireitei was close by, separated from the Kuchiki Estate by a long stretch of flat grasslands. The two of them slowly walked across it as they conversed with one another.

Ichigo's hair had lengthened over the time span. His bangs went a little past his eyes, and he brushed in annoyance them away as a breeze blew them against his face. At his side was Rukia. She had changed slightly too. The back of her hair was tied up into a short spiky ponytail.

"Your hair is a bit long now." Rukia said, noticing Ichigo's irritation at his bangs.

"Ah. Every time I tried to get a haircut they wanted to give me a chonmage." Ichigo said with a scowl. Rukia started laugh as she imagine him with such a haircut. He glared at her. "What are you laughing about?"

They stopped midway through the field, and they turned to each other. Their expressions were soft; they both looked at one another with great yearning, as though they were both afraid that if they took their eyes off each other, the other would disappear.

"So you're going now, aren't you, Ichigo?" Rukia said with a sad smile.

"Ah." Ichigo said as he returned it. "I can do much more if I went back into Rukongai, back to Karakurachō. Plus, my family is still waiting for me to come home."

Rukia nodded.

"Thank you for everything, Ichigo." She said. "Because of what you did, my friendship with Renji returned to what it once was and Nii-sama has started to open up to me. But most importantly..."

She smiled gently.

"You saved me, Ichigo."

Ichigo closed his eyes and shook his head.

"No, you were the one who saved me first." He said.

He opened his eyes and they softened.

"When we first met, you were willing to risk your own life to protect mine. Then gradually, you became someone that I truly wanted to protect. Because of you, I was able to find the answer that I've always looked for and I've gotten stronger because of it."

He looked back up at her.

"It's all thanks to you, Rukia."

Rukia looked at him gratefully. For a few moments, there was only silence as they stared at one another.

"Ichigo." She started. "I want to go back with you to Karakurachō."

Ichigo's expression lit up with surprise. He seemed conflicted by her decision, and looked away briefly as he thought it over.

"Byakuya would be mad, wouldn't he?" Ichigo said off-handedly.

"I've already discussed it with him." Rukia said. "He says the decision is mine alone."

Ichigo huffed slightly, and he scowled.

"If that's what you decided, then I'm not going to stop you."

Rukia's eyes lit up.

"You're not going to tell me to stay here?" Rukia asked with surprise.

"Well, you've never been able to decide on your own path before, right?" Ichigo said. "Like the time when you became a noble, or the time when you were living with me, or the time when you were taken away by Renji and Byakuya... you didn't decide any of that."

He scratched the back of his head.

"So I think that whatever you decide... if that's what you really want... then that's good enough for me..."

"Ichigo..." Rukia said with surprise.

"But..." He added quickly with a grin. "Your life would be better if you stayed here in Seireitei, though."

"No, it wouldn't." Rukia replied. "If I stayed here, you wouldn't be part of that life. Besides..."

She smiled at him.

"I've already thrown away the name of Kuchiki, remember?"

Ichigo only smiled back. He held out his hand, just like how he had when they first met back in the castle four months ago.

"Let's go then, Hime." Ichigo said.

"It's not Hime." Rukia said.

She placed her hand in his.

"It's Kurosaki Rukia."

And they started their walk back home, side by side with their hands entwined.

Everything was over now and the hardships of the past would forever be ingrained into their memories. Now, the both of them looked forward to the future; a future that the both of them had fought to attain, a future where both of them could live happily.

A future where the days of being at each other's side would finally be never ending.

.

.

* * *

.

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**_Fin_**

.

.

**Notes**: When I heard AU, I thought 'Oh crap, this is going to be hard.' Well, it was hard. This took me over a month to finish. Almost two months actually. This story is too freaking long for a one-shot and I will probably never write one like this again. But I'm also known to eat my own words, so who knows.

I originally intended to write a ten page one shot. It kind of got out of hand.

I wanted this story to feel new, but nostalgic, so I used the original storyline as a base for almost everything. Though it was AU, I wanted to stay within the BLEACH universe, especially in terms of Ichigo's and Rukia's personalities. In a way, this is the 'Soul Society Arc Historical Solo Remix.'

I used the Edo period as my setting for historical references. I did not plan on being accurate though, because somethings were either irrelevant or it messed with the story too much.

I watched a few historical type movies to get a feel for how it should be portrayed. The title itself is inspired from the movie 'Zatouichi.'

I stayed away from as many action scenes as I could so it wouldn't bog down the story. For these scenes, I followed the old karate/samurai philosophy of 'One strike, one kill.'

I focused on character development so I could try to bring out the best of Ichigo's and Rukia's relationship in this story. I had a few more scenes planned but they were scrapped when I noticed how long the story was getting. In truth, even if I were to use those extra scenes, I doubt it would be enough.

.

**_Omake_**

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"You know, Nii-sama won't allow it if you give me a cheap wedding ceremony."

"Ah, I know that."

"I also think you need to propose to me in a proper manner, Ichigo."

"Wait, what! You kind of already accepted though! Actually, you kind of decided everything by yourself!"

"Fine. Then I reject your proposal."

"Okay, fine! I'll do it your way then, geez!"


End file.
